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Chapter 10:
Obi-Wan went up the winding staircase with Padmé and Luke ahead of him, wondering what the former Queen and Senator would tell him when they finally revisited the tragedy that had split up the Skywalker family. For now, she appeared too enthralled in being with her son to care much about the Jedi's presence. So he continued walking to the upper level apartment, hoping the earlier gesture of good faith would earn him some points from Padmé.
"This is my place, Luke… and Obi-Wan." she said once they reached a door at the far end of the hall.
Luke looked up at his mother, "Is my sister here?" his blue eyes rolled back the years for Padmé in a flash.
She managed to keep her composure, "Yes, Leia is having a lesson with Threepio but you can meet her now if you'd like."
"I think I would." he said eagerly.
The woman smiled affectionately, "She'll be really happy to meet you, Luke. Just be yourself and don't mention who you are yet, okay?"
The boy nodded, and Padmé opened the door into to the luxurious space. It was roomy, well decorated, and filled with toys and other entertainment goods that made it suited for a family. Luke stepped inside, clearly amazed with the standard of living they had here.
"Leia, we have guests over!" she called. When the girl appeared from the bedroom, Padmé requested, "Please spend some time with Luke, he's your age and wants to play."
Leia looked at the startlingly familiar blond boy, then gave a friendly wave.
"Hi, I'm Leia. Let's go to my room and I can show you what there is to do."
Luke gave a silly grin and went along with her to have a fun break.
Obi-Wan stood silently, not sure where to start with his old friend.
"Why are you here, Obi-Wan?" she questioned, still distrustful of the Jedi Master.
"I was telling you the truth out there, Padmé. What I did ten years ago was unforgivable, I know now. But I'm asking you for forgiveness anyways, because I need to have the knowledge I can count on you to support the training of the twins. I want to atone for the past by bringing you and your children together."
Padmé shot back, "So I'm supposed to look away from the fact you helped destroy my marriage and kept Luke away from me all this time? And then let you teach my babies as Jedi to be thrown into another war? I can't believe you of all people would come to me for that."
"I promise that you will not be safe from the Empire forever. The galactic conflict will find its way to this planet and your family, and the last best chance for freedom will be lost to us. Luke and Leia are the only ones who can defeat the Sith and return the galaxy to the light. You must see this!"
"How can I be sure you won't try to alienate them against me and their father?"
"I won't make them the sort of Jedi I tried to train Anakin to be, for it was this rejection of love and emotion which brought down our Order. I will do my best to simply help them use their power for good, and it will not interfere with your upbringing of them. You have my word, Padmé."
She seemed to be moved by his statement, "Does Luke know about his father?"
"I had to give him the truth, it would have been foolish to let Vader reveal it to Luke himself if he ever found out. Especially seeing as we barely escaped him on our journey here."
"You saw him? In person?" she demanded, desperate to hear anything that might show Anakin lived on.
"I did, we fought a terrible duel which ended in Vader nearly killing me. He is a servant of the dark side and obedient to his Master alone, the man we knew is gone."
Padmé felt sorrow but also defiance at his words, "I'm not going to give up yet. There is still good in him, Obi-Wan."
While he wanted to argue the point with her, Obi-Wan did not wish to erase the progress he had made.
"I see. Will you be willing to join the Rebellion with us to restore the ideals we've always believed in? To start a new life with the children and your friends?"
Padmé had become dedicated to providing a good life for her daughter, yet the thought of having a complete family was hard to resist. She wanted nothing more than to have Anakin and the twins at her side, and if she returned to lead the Alliance there was a possibility he could be saved from himself. Maybe he just needed a push from the family he must have assumed was gone. Whatever Vader had done, Padmé would try to reunite them as they were meant to be, even if Obi-Wan didn't understand the lengths she would go to.
"I am. We'll go to the Rebel base once I sort out everything here."
She prayed this was the right choice for her family and the galaxy she had left behind.
"What you speak of is impossible, Aphra. I have made it clear she is not mine, unless you are now actively looking to find my hidden love affairs?" Vader sounded acerbic to say the least.
The anxious Doctor replied quickly, "Please milord, I would not make this claim without any basis. I tested a blood sample from Rey which confirmed you are almost certainly her father."
"You did this without my knowledge of it? Were you acting on the Emperor's orders?" he growled furiously, raising his hand to apply pressure to her throat.
She choked helplessly, rasping out a few words, "No, never… I wanted to… heal you."
Convinced she was not lying, Vader released his grip to her relief.
Aphra coughed uncontrollably for a few moments, then recovered to explain to the Dark Lord.
"I only kept it from you since I knew you would be this angry if I brought it up. But now there is a real solution to extend your life and return you to a full human body." her pale green eyes glimmered with excitement.
"Are you absolutely sure this is true?"
"I know that the girl is your child in some way, Lord Vader. However, I cannot determine who the mother may be."
"Why? Is there no one in the database that matches?" he was reeling from the implications of these results.
"As far as I know. I won't need to worry about it though, if it doesn't concern you."
He could not connect the random dots that were being given about Rey. If Padmé had not created her, how else could she be his daughter? What caused her to be on Jakku when he found the girl? None of it made sense to the Sith Lord, who stayed motionless for a while.
"Do what is necessary then, Aphra. I trust you will maintain the secrecy of this task."
"I will report to you when I have more information on the procedure. Good night Vader." the woman scurried over to her office as her long hair flew behind elegantly.
He didn't reply, surprised by the Doctor's informal behavior with him. Dismissing the conversation, he strode forward to check on the status of the Executor's trip to Imperial Center. As he viewed the realm of hyperspace around the Star Destroyer from the bridge, he couldn't help but contemplate one pressing question.
'Who are you, Rey?'
Lando Calrissian was not expecting to be paid a visit by the double-dealing, no good Han Solo in light of the controversial sabacc match which had cost him the prized Falcon. It was damaging to his pride and reputation, which had prompted Lando to pursue a tibanna gas mining operation on the far-removed planet of Bespin. Since then, the small but profitable organization had drawn many from across the galaxy who sought refuge from the Empire. One of those people was an extraordinary young woman named Serra who had ventured from world to world in the Outer Rim, hoping to protect her Force-sensitive daughter from Vader and the Emperor. When he heard out her story, he immediately sympathized with the woman and offered her a position as an ambassador for his business due to her prior experience in the Republic Senate. She was charming and kind, not to mention very attractive which had caught his attention. Lando unsuccessfully tried to court Serra, dropping his advances once he learned that she lost her husband to the Empire. So the idea that she had been deceiving him and had a quite different past was rather upsetting to him.
"You're doing something pretty nice over here, I'll give you that much." Han commented, while they sat together at the conference table in the administrator's complex.
"I worked hard to turn this city into a home for those who are trying to flee the Empire, to be someone respectable in the eyes of ordinary citizens instead of doing what got me the most credits. Thanks to all the resources, we can finance these facilities for the long run until the war is over."
"You always had heart, Lando. Before I couldn't see the value in your idealism when you told me about this but now I'm starting to feel that the Rebellion might be my best shot at a decent life with some adventure and honor. I can't stand being under Jabba's thumb any longer with the sort of guys he contracts. It's time to gamble on these rebels and play our cards against the Imperials, don't ya' think?" the smuggler had made up his mind.
"I never thought I'd say it old pal, but I'm right behind you. Tell me this though: Who are the other folks you brought along?"
"A Jedi Master named Ben and the kid Luke is his student. Apparently he's the son of whoever that lady behind you was."
"Her son?" Lando's eyebrows rose in astonishment, "First her name is Padmé and now she's got a son."
"You're going to have tell me what's the deal with you and her, because my guess on what's the dynamic between everyone is as good as yours."
"Oh, this deal is getting worse all the time! We're all in deep trouble if Vader tracks you down and finds these kids and the Jedi. For all I know, she could be connected to him somehow too if she was forced to come here."
"Whatever the case, we better go talk with them ourselves soon." Han said as Chewbacca grunted in agreement.
"Let's get to it." Lando declared, bracing himself for the storm that awaited in the near future.
Darth Vader had not been able to settle the fire raging in his heart, the thoughts of having both a son and a daughter shattering the perception of his own existence he once had. Whether he wanted to admit it or not, the last few days were affecting him at a fundamental level which was allowing the light side to regain strength over the Sith Lord. It would have been unthinkable not long ago to consider that he could find love and contentment from the presence of a single girl. But Rey had done just that… and if she was a Skywalker it seemed the Force had other plans for the Chosen One who had been lost in the darkness for years. Vader hated the sense of conflict that tore him apart now, when before he could devote himself solely to the Empire and what it stood for. However, he equally rejected the notion of losing out on the opportunity to be a father to his children. What if his Angel was out there and he could bring them together as the family they were destined to be? The galaxy would finally be theirs to rule with no one to stand in the way of building a just and flourishing society.
He watched Rey emerge from his quarters in an expensive, designer-made dress ordered a couple nights ago which had been delivered to the Executor along with a whole shipment of young girls' clothing to be kept for his apprentice. She should have the best items available, and Vader wanted that more so with the knowledge she could be his daughter. As long as Palpatine did not interpret this as a sign of attachment to her, it was a harmless display of how much he cared for Rey. Around his Master, he would have to bury his feelings deep inside lest they be used against him.
"Are you ready to face the Emperor?" he knew the girl might be afraid of such a monster.
"I won't fail you. If you're there, I feel safe." she said earnestly.
"Then we must go to the Imperial Palace at once. Follow my lead." Vader commanded, already marching towards the hangar bay. The Sith Lord knew that the battle between the light and dark was hurtling towards an epic showdown which would have incredible repercussions for the galaxy at large. And right now he wasn't so sure what side he would end up on.
Padmé had prepared a hearty breakfast with the assistance of her favorite protocol droid C-3PO for Luke, Leia, and Obi-Wan. It made her feel more elated than she could have imagined to do an otherwise simple chore for her beautiful children, who were beginning to form a bond as brother and sister during their carefree interactions. She cherished the daughter she had been able to raise but to have Luke too was a gift she would not ever forget. Thus, Padmé chose to accept the Jedi Master's proposal out of principle. The debt she owed to him for returning the boy to her in an effort to repair their friendship was one she did not take lightly in spite of the very real reasons to hate his past actions. The ex-Senator respected the sincerity on Obi-Wan's part and also recognized the need to do what she could for the Rebels to ensure the freedom of the galaxy again. Indeed, the pain and suffering of trillions of oppressed people under the reign of the Galactic Empire sometimes was hers when she considered her role in failing to stop Palpatine from hoarding political power and pulling Anakin towards the dark side of the Force.
"He is remarkably like his father in his interests and skills, always seeking adventure and dreaming of the future." Obi-Wan looked at Padmé with a tinge of nostalgia in his blue-grey eyes.
She gave a sweet laugh, "I always knew a child of Anakin's would be that way, but from what I've seen he has more of my temperament and nature."
"You would be right. Leia is quite a difficult girl to manage then, I suppose? I know her father was as my Padawan from all the sleepless nights and crazy incidents."
"Yeah, it isn't always easy to make her do what you'd like her to. That's just the reality of parenting though in my experience. She's totally been worth it and I wouldn't want her any different. Leia is the light of my life." Padmé said with pride filling her being.
"I feel Luke is now where he belongs with the support he needs since his aunt and uncle died."
"Owen and Beru…they were good people." she spoke quietly, "When was it?"
"Within the last week. The Tuskens were responsible, and I was fortunate to have arrived in time to rescue Luke from the middle of the Jundland Wastes. That was when we set out to find you."
"I can't believe it. He must have been so crushed by losing them, is he getting any better?" her maternal instincts kicking in.
"I sense he is still hurting over the memory, but you and Leia can help him recover from it. He is stronger than he knows, and I am amazed every day by what he does. The boy truly has the heart of a Jedi."
She closed her eyes, "Thank you, Obi-Wan. I know that Anakin would have wanted his son to become the Jedi Knight he aspired to be when we were together."
"What happened to him, Padmé? Where did we all go wrong in keeping him close? He was the one to destroy the Sith, not join them. Bring balance to the Force, not leave it in darkness."
"There was the pressure of hiding our marriage from the galaxy for the entire war and his obsession with preventing my death near the final months which put him on edge, changed him into someone I no longer knew. Anakin began to turn on me, the Jedi, and the Republic as the Chancellor corrupted his mind with lies. Everything Palpatine did was to bring Anakin under his control so he could have the Chosen One as his ultimate apprentice."
Obi-Wan couldn't contain his shock, "You were married to each other? Since Geonosis?"
She nodded, "We were so in love… I didn't think anything could tear us apart until Mustafar. Vader took power over Anakin Skywalker that day, and he was the one who tried to kill me. I know Anakin is not dead if we can reach out to him and show him there's still something worth clinging to."
"You're suggesting we let Vader and the Emperor learn of Luke and Leia so they can be converted into the next generation of Sith Lords? Because that is exactly what he will do given the opportunity."
"Please listen to me, Obi-Wan!" she started to say before the voice of Lando Calrissian cut her off.
"Care to enlighten us about your situation, Padmé?"