VADER: MIA

Episode II: Return of the Chosen One

Chapter 10

Admiral Ackbar waited while the maintenance crew finished fueling and readying his ship for departure. He tried one more time, unsuccessfully, to talk Mon Mothma into letting him handle the mission to Belkadan. However, being as determined as Mon Mothma was about sending Anakin, the Admirals attempt fell on deaf ears, and that bothered him quite a bit. Walking to the docking bay, he went over in his head exactly what he was going to say and make it sound believable. Entering the bay he went straight to his ship and watched as the crew prepared it.

Doing his own walk around the ship, he checked it for anything that the crew might have missed. But seeing that it was his personal crew he really didn't have anything to check. So the walk around was more or less a ritual. Coming around the stern of his modified B-wing, he headed straight for the cockpit where the crew chief was standing ready with his gear.

Stepping up to him he said, "Good job as usual, Chief."

The chief nodded but the look on his face was one of curiosity and worry as to where the Admiral was going without an escort; he asked.

"If you don't mind me asking Admiral what is so important and secretive that you're going without an escort?"

"I wish I could tell you chief but this is one time you'll have to be left in the dark," Ackbar answered patting him on the shoulder.

Climbing into the cockpit, he saluted the chief and thanked him once again for a job well done. Locking down his canopy he did the power up sequence, receiving clearance from flight control he looked around the flight deck hoping that Mon Mothma was right and that all this would not be lost should she be wrong. Giving one final wave to the chief he moved is modified B-wing into place and headed off on a mission he was sure was going to fail.

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Anakin stood silently and let the others words ring in the air thinking of their meaning. Looking intently at the other he had a hard time believing what he was seeing.

"Don't waste your time Skywalker," the voice said, "do you not believe what you are seeing?"

"No, this can't be… you, you are me this can't be real," Anakin said backing up a step.

"No, Skywalker, I am not you, only this suit belongs to you, did you think sending me this… would end your service to me, it isn't that easy my servant."

Anakin's puzzlement dissolved and turned to anger when the other finally revealed his identity. Holding his lightsaber defensively, he said with a voice of extreme purpose, "I will not join you Palpatine you have deceived me and the people long enough, it is now time for you to pay for your crimes." Anakin answered.

"Crimes… I've committed no crimes. I have given the people what they wanted, peace; and if you will not rejoin me my old apprentice, then you will die." the other answered smugly.

"Then this meeting has finally come; where everything will be settled here and now,"

Anakin replied, the hatred building in him, wanting with every ounce of his body to kill the person that stood in front of him. Anakin believing fervently in 'aggressive negotiations' skipped further conversation and let his lightsaber do the talking for him; driven by an anger built over many years of servitude Anakin lashed out with his lightsaber. Fully in touch with the Force, he attacked the Emperor. Swinging his lightsaber from head to legs he feverishly tried to end the Emperors life but with each swing, the Emperor easily blocked Anakin's relentless attack.

Drawing more on the Force, Anakin used that power to feed his anger as he'd done so many times in the past in hopes of ridding the galaxy of the Emperor once and for all. However, with each attack and the Emperors ease at defending against it Anakin again started to feel his frustration he'd felt all the years he served the Emperor.

"Good, good… yes let go with your anger begin your journey back to the dark and once again take your place at my side."

"No I'll never go back to that life, "Anakin replied, drawing even deeper into the force and stepping up his attack.

"Oh you will be mine once again my apprentice, with each blow you are that much closer to becoming my apprentice once again."

Hearing the Emperors words Anakin thought of Luke and Padmé and the disappointment she had felt when he turned. He remembered her words that now were like a dagger in his heart, "Anakin, your breaking my heart, you going to a place I cannot follow." Stopping his attack, Anakin dropped his lightsaber to the ground saying, "No Emperor you are wrong, I will not join you."

"Then you will die, for if you do not join me there is another; and close by as well, and he will make a very suitable replacement for half a human such as you."

Anakin knew that the Emperor was talking about Luke, calling his lightsaber to his hand he immediately resumed his attack screaming, "You will not corrupt my son, I will not let you," swinging wildly Anakin's attack had no structure, it was an attack driven by anger.

"Yes strike me down," the Emperor replied blocking every attack with ease, "You are almost mine once again, strike me down Darth Vader and complete your journey back to the dark side."

Again Anakin stopped his attack breathing heavily he thought for several seconds then threw his lightsaber down to the ground saying, "No you have not won," Anakin answered then it hit him all at the same time. Anakin attacked the Emperor he did not return the attack but stayed on the defensive, with a confidence that he was right and this wasn't real he asked, "why do you not strike back at me?"

"I need not strike back for I have all ready won, if you will not join me then your son will.," the Emperor answered.

'No you've won nothing Luke can not be turned, he'd never join someone who's responsible for killing his family, you have lost now go before you lose more than an apprentice." Anakin said curtly then turned his back to the Emperor.

Expecting to hear the hum of a lightsaber swinging towards his head, Anakin closed his eyes thinking of Luke. When the attack never came, he slowly turned expecting to see the Emperor standing there but what he saw left him speechless. Where the Emperor was standing, now stood the figure of his master; Yoda, several moments passed when he finally asked.

"Why, why have you done this to me?"

"Time is short and questions you have, answer them I will when return to the clearing you have," And just like that the image of Yoda vanished.

Anakin stood there for a few seconds dwelling on what Yoda had just said he couldn't make heads or tails of it but one phrase stuck out in his mind, "Time is short," Yoda had said, 'What could that mean,' he thought to himself, then hitting him like a fleeing Mynock he whispered "He's dying."

Hurriedly exiting the cave he met Luke not far from the entrance and instructed him to follow without asking questions. When Luke tried to explain why he was there Anakin told him again to say nothing but follow. Returning to the clearing where he and mainly Luke did his training Anakin sensed something he hadn't sensed, sense Obi-Wan had given himself willingly to the Force. Looking towards master Yoda's hovel, he felt that sense again.

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Commander Jasweethh walked at a hurried pace to the Emperors quarters, having received a top priority communications from an operative deep within the Alliances high command. Only a few people were privy to the many people that placed in deep cover and commander Jasweethh was one of them. On a day the Emperor was feeling quite giving, he'd asked why don't the operatives just give away the Alliances position and the Empire could just go in and eliminate them the Emperor answered with an attack of force lightening then the answer to the commanders question.

"Because I do not wish to do so at this time, everything that has happened to this point has done so at my will."

Entering the room Jasweethh looked for the Emperor who was in a far corner of the room doing what Jasweethh had seen many times before, meditating. Quietly approaching the Emperor he took to one knee several feet away, and in a very low tone interrupted the Emperor's meditation.

"My Emperor, we have received a top priority communiqué from an undercover operative."

The Emperor immediately turned his attention to Jasweethh snatched the message from his hand and dismissed him. Waiting for him to leave he opened the message and read it.

'My lord supreme commander of the Alliances fleet; Admiral Ackbar, has been sent on a mission alone, the location of this mission is unknown at this time so I have seen fit to place a tracer aboard the Admiral's personal B-wing fighter, the frequency for this tracer is imbedded within this message. End message… Terfpen'

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Anakin and Luke slowly approached Yoda's hovel. With Anakin entering first he scanned the room until he saw Yoda resting in his bed. With Luke following close behind Anakin took to one knee beside the ancient Jedi master.

"Master why?" Anakin asked referring to what he just experienced in the cave.

"A trial this was to see if ready you were to be the Jedi master I have always thought you would be." Yoda replied.

"Ready... I'm not ready for that, I could never fill your shoes, Master." Anakin replied.

"Ready you must be for my time is short in this life, when gone am I the last of the Jedi Masters will you be." Yoda said.

"What do you mean your time is short?" Anakin said moving closer to Yoda.
Luke who was standing by listening as Yoda was talking to his father now took even more interest when he heard what Yoda had just said joining his father at Yoda's bedside he too asked.

"What do you mean Master who will complete my...our training?"

"Know Anakin does what you need, to complete your training." Yoda replied looking directly at Anakin but answering Luke.

Then turning to give Luke his last instruction, knowing that his time was even shorter.

"Listen to your father you will, for he is your Master now, remem...ber, pa... tience, Luke..." then turning back to Anakin and with some difficulty he said, "Anakin, more there is... to tell you... there's some... else... there... is an... other Sky...walker."

With his final breath, Yoda slipped away, and a few moments after that his body disappeared into the Force. Watching intently, Anakin and Luke's eyes widened as the Jedi's greatest Master passed into the Force.

Not hitting them directly and still what stunned at the sudden passing of Master Yoda, Anakin was the first to catch what the ancient Jedi had said.

"Another Skywalker?" he said questioningly then looking to Luke for an answer.

"I know nothing of another Skywalker, father." Luke answered just as puzzled.

"That's because you were both separated at birth; should the Emperor discover that one of you existed the other would surely survive." The voice of Obi-Wan said as he materialized behind Luke and Anakin.

"I have a twin?" Luke asked turning to face the image of Obi-Wan.

Anakin who was still speechless just turned and waited for Obi-Wan to answer.

"Well," Obi-Wan said "this is a first I've never been able to silence you when I needed to, but now I should have told you years ago." Obi-Wan said with a chuckle trying to ease their pain and surprise.

Smirking Anakin stared at his old master.

"Right no time for jokes," Obi-Wan returned and gave Anakin a slight nod.

"Where to begin," Obi-Wan started, "Ok at the time of your births it was decided that the two of you should be separated; you Luke went to your uncle on Tatooine while your..." Obi-Wan paused before continuing, "Your... sister was sent to Alderaan to be raised by senator Bail Organa and his wife."

"But Alderaan was destroyed I know I was there when it happened." Anakin answered now worried that he killed his daughter.

"Yes that you did but your daughter was with you at the time of that destruction." Obi-Wan said dropping a hint as to the identity of his daughter.

"Leia... Princess Leia is my daughter?" Anakin asked relieved.

"Yes, but you would do well do hide that fact until the time is right for her to know; store well those feelings for they could in danger all if this information should fall into the wrong hands." Obi-Wan warned.

Anakin just stared at Obi-Wan for several seconds then expressed his dismay at what may happen in the future.

"She'll never forgive me for all the deaths I've caused especially for killing her family," he said solemnly.

"Yes she will father... I did and with my help we can convince her that it was not entirely your fault." Luke said placing a hand on his fathers shoulder.

"No my son, her hurt goes very deep and once she finds out that I'm her Father what then… will she kill me where I stand? Once more what does this mean for her political career she is after all one of the Alliances high command?" Anakin continued, "No I'm afraid that I will never be able to redeem all the hurt I have caused her, she loved her father and her planet very much, and I was instrumental in its destruction, plus the fact that I put her through some very extensive interrogation; no it is best that she not know who I am... ever."

Luke just sat and thought for a moment then said, "I'm sorry father I don't agree with you, I've lost just as much as she did and I've forgiven you, so will she, I'm sure of it."

"I hope you're right son, I really hope you're right." Anakin said responding to Luke's statement.

"My time here is short too my friends; know that shortly you will be tested my old friend." Obi-wan said looking at Anakin, "And you will be asked to be separated from Luke but do not let him leave you for this time is very dangerous he is very susceptible to the lure of the dark side, keep him close and train him well."

Then just as Master Yoda, so had Obi-Wan's figure too, faded away.

"Father, will we ever see him again?" Luke asked staring where the figure of his old mentor was standing.

"I don't know my son, we'll just have to wait and see, come we have training to continue." Anakin said motioning for Luke to follow.