"Leia? Won't you sit down?" Killer said as she buttered her toast.
Leia took a deep breath. As much as she would love to murder her parents right now, she knew she was no match for them. And where did such thoughts of taking over the galaxy come from? Those were the ways of the Sith and she would become just like her parents. Leia knew she had to keep control over her feelings and do what was right. She was a Rebel leader and her goal was to restore the Republic, even if that goal was abandoned by her very own parents.
"I'm not hungry." Leia said, coldly. That was a lie. She had not eaten since the meal Obi-Wan gave her at Yoda's hut yesterday, but the thought of sitting down and eating breakfast with Darth Vader and Star Killer was unbearable.
"Nonsense, Leia. I know you must be hungry. You need to eat something." Killer said.
"I don't want to eat with you!"
"Leia, if you want to fight us, you are going to need your strength. So eat, please." Killer said as she smiled.
"Don't mock me!" The nerve of Killer to not take her seriously.
"Leia, you are living in this house now. You cannot starve yourself to death. You must eat." Vader said.
"Fine. Then let me take my food to my room. I'll eat there or somewhere where you're not around."
"No, you will eat here with us or you will not eat at all." Killer said. She was no longer smiling. Leia was crossing the line with her attitude.
Annoyed, Leia sat down at the table across from Killer and next to Vader. She took a pancake and placed it on her plate.
"Good morning." A familar voice said. Leia turned around and was shocked to see Luke standing by the door.
"Luke?!" Leia exclaimed. She jumped out of her chair and hugged her brother. Luke returned the hug.
"Are you alright?" Luke asked.
Leia ignored the question and asked, "What are you doing here? Did they capture you too?"
"Good morning, son." Killer said sweetly.
"I trust you slept well." Vader said.
Luke kept his arm around Leia as she viewed their interaction with confusion. "Yes, I did. Thank you for the room."
Killer smiled. "You have no need to thank us. This is your home now."
"They told you everything?" Leia said.
"Yes." Luke muttered to his sister.
Killer smiled at her children. "Why don't the two of you go for a walk outside? It's a lovely day, you know."
"We can go outside?" Leia asked, surprised.
"Of course you may, Leia. We have acres of land outside and a pool. Go out and enjoy the weather." Killer then got up from the table and handed both Luke and Leia some toast with jam. The twins went outside with Leia confused by these events.
"They're letting us go outside! Are they crazy?" Leia said to her brother.
"I know what you're thinking. We cannot escape." Luke said.
"Why not?"
"We are allowed to go outside, but we cannot leave this land. It is enclosed within gates and there are guards all around."
"Of course." Leia said, disappointed. It couldn't have been that easy. "What are we going to do, then? How are we going to get out of this mess?"
"I have a plan."
"What is it? And how did you get here anyway?"
"I sensed you again. You were in so much pain and I followed your presence here. And that's when they told me everything. I was just as shocked as you probably were."
Leia shook her head as she looked up at the sky. "How could I have ever imagined that Darth Vader could be my father?"
"I couldn't, either. I thought he was responsible for my parents' deaths."
"So did I. It was so hard to believe them when they told me, but somehow I knew it was all true."
"That's because you're strong in the force."
"That alone is overwhelming to know. I always thought of Jedi as heroes of the past. I never thought I could have that kind of power. It seemed so far away, yet..."
"Yet a part of you." Luke rested his hand on Leia's arm. "I know this is all too much for you. It is for me too. But we have to work together in order to save our parents."
Leia looked at Luke. "Save them?"
"Yes, they need our help. Together, you and I, can bring them to the light side."
Leia stared at Luke incredously. "Luke, what are you talking about? You can't seriously think we can make our parents be who they used to be. We don't even understand fully how they got to this point."
"There's something you still don't really know. It's about our mother."
"There's a lot I don't know about her and I'm not sure I want to. I always had respect for my birth mother. I remembered her being so kind and gentle. But Star Killer? I hate that woman with every fiber in me. I can barely think of her as the same person."
"Because she's not the mother you knew. Our mother isn't really evil."
"Luke, how can you say that? We both saw her slaughter a man. And think about everything she put us through."
"But she wasn't herself. The Emperor hypnotized her."
Leia was shocked. "What? How do you know this?"
Luke explained everything Bail told him before he left to discuss the matter with Obi-Wan. Leia was surprised by this.
"So Palpatine brainwashed our mother and gave her the identity of Star Killer. So Star Killer is acting under hypnosis." Leia said slowly as she tried to piece it all together.
"Correct." Luke said.
"Oh Luke, what are we going to do?" Leia asked, desperately.
"We're going to save them. We'll break mother out of Palpatine's control." Luke said with fierce determination. He would get his parents back and they would all be a family.
"But do you think we can?"
"Yes. We'll just have to figure out how to break through her. We are her children after all."
"What of Vader?"
Luke turned away. He couldn't help but feel some affection towards Vader, now that he knew he was his father. But where as Killer was innocent in all of this, Vader wasn't. No matter what, Luke couldn't justify his father's actions. Vader allowed himself to be seduced by the dark side of the force. But still, he was his father and he understood that his father weakened himself because he was afraid of losing his wife and the mother of his children.
"The Emperor managed to convince Vader to be his apprentice. I suppose we have to convince him to return to the good side." Luke said, with less confidence this time. Instead, he sounded more hopeful.
Leia studied Luke carefully. She could see that her brother's viewpoints of Vader had changed, even though Leia's hadn't. As far as she was concerned, Vader had caused too much destruction. He was at a point of no return and she would not be able to forgive him for his crimes, regardless if he was her biological father.
"Luke," Leia started carefully, "You have to remember who Vader really is. He may have been a hero once, but that person is gone now--"
"I don't believe that." Luke interrupted. He loved his sister, but he couldn't listen to this. The idea of his father being lost to the dark side forever was unbearable. "I know there is still that person deep down inside of him, somewhere. The Emperor couldn't have destroyed that person completely."
"Luke, as much as I hate the Emperor, we can't blame him for everything. He is responsible for our mother's actions, but Vader had a choice. Vader is responsible for his own crimes."
"But, I know there is still some good in him. I can feel it." Luke insisted.
"I can't."
"That's because you have too much hatred towards him. You've seen his dark side. You've seen him terrorize people. You've been tortured by him. But I know he is conflicted inside. He still loves our mother and I know he loves us."
"The idea of Vader loving me--"
"Is incomprehensive. I know. Who could have imagined? But he does. I know he does. Obi-Wan himself said that Sith Lords don't fall in love. It's not in their nature. But Vader is in love with his wife and he cares for us too. If you have the ability to love, you can't be completely evil."
Luke realized that Obi-Wan and Yoda were right with one thing. Knowing why Vader was married to Killer was important to know. Because if Vader truly loves Killer, there must be some good in him. And knowing uncharacteristic things about your enemy will help you defeat them is also true. Because the way Luke could defeat Vader is to exploit the good in him, so Vader would be gone, and Anakin Skywalker would return. Luke now understood his destiny and purpose. It took him awhile, but he got here. His whole life was all meant to come to this point. He would bring his parents back, defeat the Emperor, and restore democracy in the process. No, it wouldn't just be he. Leia too. The two of them had grown up differently, had different experiences, different goals, but they had the same purpose and destiny. And now that they both knew the truth, it was time for their destinies to be fulfilled.
Why Obi-Wan and Yoda didn't tell Luke the truth? Perhaps Luke had to find out on his own. Trust his instincts was what Obi-Wan taught him. And he did just that when he followed Leia's pain to here. And it was then that he learned the truth. Luke also knew that there was a chance to save his parents.
"Luke, maybe Vader does love Killer. And as hard as it is to believe that he cares for us, I know that could be true too. But I'm not sure that he can be returned." Leia said.
"Why not?" Luke challenged.
"Because he has done so much that it's too late."
"You're wrong. I know he has done too many terrible things, but the good man who was our father isn't completely gone. We have to bring him back to us." Luke insisted again.
"Well, do you know why he turned to the dark side in the first place?"
"I do. He was afraid for Mother. Vader had nightmares when our mother was pregnant that she would die in labor. And Palpatine told him that if he turned to the dark side, he could find the power to prevent her from dying. So you see, our father turned to the dark side because he thought he was going to save our mother." Luke explained.
Leia suddenly remembered her dream last night of Anakin telling Padme that he found a way to save her from his nightmares. So this was what they were discussing about. Had Anakin already planned to become Darth Vader? He still seemed like a good person, but conflicted. Maybe he was considering Palpatine's offer? Maybe his path to the dark side was much complicated than Leia thought.
"We have to save our father, Leia. He can come back to the good side. I know it."
Leia hesitated. What if Luke was right? What if Vader could return from the dark side? It seemed so unlikely, but she had to remember that it was difficult to believe that Vader could be her father. So maybe the impossible could happen. Leia briefly recalled how he saved her life last night. She was so surprised by his determination and desperation to save her. She had never seen Vader show any ounce of compassion before. Maybe there was some good in him after all. At any rate, there was no other way out of this mess. This was their only option.
"Alright, Luke. I'm in. Tell me how are we going to save our parents."
Luke smiled, glad that Leia was cooperating. He was going to need her help for he couldn't go through this alone. "First, we have to pretend to side with them. We have to act as if we are going to turn to the dark side and we have to play the perfect son and daughter."
Leia looked like she wanted to argue, but decided against it. "Go on."
"If we play the son and daughter roles well, we would be able to 'bond' with them and slowly get them to turn over to the good side."
Leia blinked. "Luke, I really don't think that by bonding with them, we will make them see the error of their ways. It's just not enough."
"I know that. It's going to take some time. We need to talk with them, and really talk. Find out what happened to them and how they got here. And then we can show them how things could really be and that the side they were on before was the right one. We need to really get through to mother and bring out her compassion. And as head of the Empire, we can try to convince them to stop terrorizing people. I mean, think about it. If we are the perfect children, we could ask them to change things in the Empire. They might listen to us because we're their offspring. And then slowly, we will restore democracy and break them out of their ways. What do you say?"
Leia sighed and looked at the ground. She understood what Luke was saying, but she didn't share his confidence. Either way, she had no choice. "Okay, I'm with you on this."
Luke hugged his sister tight and Leia rested her head on his shoulder. It was good to receive some comfort after the shock of the truth.
After several moments, Luke and Leia returned to the mansion where their parents were sitting in the living room reviewing some paperwork.
Killer looked up when she saw them arrive and asked, "Did you enjoy your walk?"
"We did." Luke said and then he looked at Leia expectedly.
Leia saw the look in Luke's eyes and knew what he wanted her to do. And it took all the strength to do it. She stepped forward. "Mother? Father?"
"Yes, Leia?" Killer asked. Both she and Vader beamed at being called "Mother" and "Father" from Leia. It felt so good to hear those words.
Leia took a deep breath. "I just wanted to say that I'm sorry for being so disrespectful. You saved my life yesterday and I treated you horribly. Luke showed me that I was mistaken about a lot of things. I am gifted with a rare power and I want to be as powerful as I can be. So I will accept your training with gratitude. I hope that the two of you can forgive me for my past mistakes."
Killer and Vader smiled. They could hardly believe their luck. Luke had managed to get through to Leia and now they had both their children on their side. This was what they had been waiting for and now they finally had it.
"Oh Leia, of course we forgive you." Killer said, overwhelmed with emotions. She wrapped her arms around Leia and Leia knew she had no choice but to return it. Hugging Darth Vader was even more difficult. After Killer released her, Vader stepped in and embraced Leia. It all felt too strange for her, but she knew she had to keep herself composed. Luke wanted her to play the perfect daughter after all.
For the rest of the afternoon, the twins were given a tour of the entire mansion. Leia was taught the basic uses of the lightsaber and how to summon things from the room. She was given her first lightsaber which was the color of red. Leia knew that red was the color for the Sith, but she didn't care. She was happy to have a lightsaber, because it gave her insurance. If Luke's plan failed, Leia knew she could use the lightsaber to defeat Vader and get her life back. She however did not mention that thought to Luke. He would not be happy and he was certain that their plan would work.
Luke realized how different the Sith ways were from the Jedi as Vader trained him. His teachings were different from Yoda's and Obi-Wan's. And Luke had to keep in mind that he would never use this kind of training, for his loyalty still belonged to the Jedi where it always would.
By evening, Vader, Killer, Luke, and Leia were sitting down at the dining table for dinner. Vader was feeling extremely happy. He had been alone for twenty years, believing that his wife and his child were dead. But here he was sitting with his wife, his son, and his daughter. He had his whole family and the Empire. And soon, he would get his body back. Killer too was happy that she was back with her family. She was with the man she loved more than anything and her two children. Luke felt somewhat happy to be sitting with his family, but it felt strange too. Leia felt completely out of place and uncomfortable. For both twins, it was odd for them to see Vader out of his mask. The man beneath the mask looked different than the visions and dreams Leia had, but she could see some resemblance in his eyes.
"I can't tell you how happy I am to be able to sit down like this and have dinner with my family." Killer said. "Your father and I were so thrilled to be reunited, but we now feel complete having you two with us."
Luke held his mother's hand. "I'm just so glad that you are alive and that I can finally get a chance to know my parents."
"You will become a great apprentice, my son." Vader said.
"Thank you, Father." Luke said. "Will we continue the training tomorrow?"
"No."
Luke didn't expect that. And Leia, who was playing with her food with a grim face looked up, surprised.
"Tomorrow we will destroy the Rebel's base. The two of you can tell us where it is." Vader declared.
Leia looked at Luke, who seemed troubled. Clearly, he was not prepared for this.
"Father, we would tell you if we knew." Luke said.
"You do not know?"
"No, the last I heard, the base was on Hoth. But after I escaped from Bespin, I separated from the Rebellion and hid somewhere else."
"And you do not know where the base is now?"
"No." Luke lied, trying his best to bury his feelings. To his relief, Vader accepted his answer without further question.
"How about you, Leia?" Vader addressed his daughter.
"I don't know. I was hiding out too. Remember, you found me on Kamino." Leia said.
"Very well, then. We will not destroy the base tomorrow since it has not been located. Thus, the training shall resume tomorrow."
Leia too felt relieved and now she decided to test her luck further. "You know, I've been doing some thinking...I don't think we should take control of the Outer Rim." Leia's heart began to race as she awaited her parents' reactions.
"Why not?" Killer asked, surprised by the suggestion. They had mention their upcoming plans to their children earlier.
"Well, I just think that we have enough systems and the Outer Rim is useless."
"The Outer Rim has a lot of land and space. We could have military bases there."
Vader spoke. "And don't forget that fugitives hide out there because the Empire is not there. You and Luke are perfect examples--"
"We thought you were going to kill us--" Leia started defensively.
"I'm not chiding you." Vader said. "I'm just pointing out that fugitives believe they are safe there. If we take control of the Outer Rim, they will not escape so easily."
Luke thought of Uncle Owen and Aunt Beru. They never believed the Empire would extend their control to the Outer Rim.
"But Father, what if we start another Rebellion in the Outer Rim? They will fight us and there are a lot of dangerous creatures out there. It is probably not in our best interest to take control. The Outer Rim should be left alone." Leia said.
"Do not worry about that, my daughter. We know what we are doing."
Leia looked at Luke who gave her a stern look, indicating that she should drop the matter. Although their plan was to ask to their parents to forfeit ideas that were wrong as a favor to their children, it was still too early. And if Leia was to openly argue with Vader, their entire plan would be ruined. She had to bury the deep bitterness she felt for Vader. It would cost them everything.
The four of them spent the rest of the evening chatting about mundane topics. When the evening was over, Vader and Killer bid their children goodnight and returned to their chambers.
"Our children are no longer a threat. We finally did it!" Killer exclaimed, happily.
"I knew we would. Leia inherited your beauty." Vader said.
"She's a bright young woman." Killer remarked as she thought of her daughter fondly. "She had started off on the wrong side due to Organa's horrible raising. But we have corrected her. Luke has inherited both your handsomeness and skills."
"When we die, the twins will become an excellent replacement."
Killer sighed contently as she snuggled up against her husband.
"You are happy?" Vader asked softly.
Killer looked up. "Of course I am. I have you and I have Luke and Leia. How can I not be?"
"I just want to give you everything."
Killer smiled. "You have."
"I don't want to hurt you again."
"Where is this coming from?"
Vader rested his head against Killer's and said, "I just have a bad feeling."
"Don't worry. Everything is the way it should be."
"Will it stay that way?"
"Yes. I'm not going anywhere and neither are the twins."
Vader kissed Killer.
Meanwhile, Luke was sitting in Leia's room.
"Do you really think that we can redeem them?" Leia asked as she recalled the events of the day. Vader and Killer seemed so passionate about the Empire. She didn't know how much of a chance she and Luke had to compete against that passion.
"I know it seems hopeless right now, but we can do it. You had to have at least seen the love between them and the love they had for us." Luke said.
Leia couldn't deny this, because she had not only seen it, but she had felt it. "I just hope we can save Mother. I hate what Palpatine did to her."
"If we could only somehow remind her of who she used to be..." Luke said thoughtfully.
Leia shot up as she remembered something. "I got it!"
"What?"
Leia went to the other side of the wall and picked up the music box she threw yesterday from the floor.
"What is that?" Luke asked as he eyed the box.
"When I was on Naboo at my mother's house, I found this. It's a music box and it belongs to Killer and Vader."
Luke opened the box and heard the soft and romantic melody playing from it. He couldn't keep his eyes off the two figures dancing inside.
"It must have been a token of their love back in their day." Leia said as she too stared at the figures. "It even got their initials on it. See? P and A."
"If we show her this--"
"It might remind her of who she used to be." Leia finished.
The two of them looked at the music box as if they found a key to their door out. They were holding something that could save their mother.
This was more of a filler chapter. In the next chapter, Luke and Leia attempt to bring Padme back. But they will have to be careful of Vader. Please leave me some reviews!