Eleven
Luke watched as his sister picked out what seemed to be an entire wardrobe of clothing. He had never selected his own clothes, and simply wore whatever his aunt bought for him. So he was quite accustomed to letting someone else do his shopping. But the things that Leia was picking out were nothing like what he was used to, and he was very close to pointing that out to her. But then he remembered the incident earlier that morning, and decided to say nothing. Leia only wanted to help him, and if that meant picking out clothes for him, then he'd let her do it.
"What do you think of this one?" Leia asked, holding up a tunic.
"Fine," Luke replied, not even looking at it.
Leia frowned, and then had an idea. She handed the tunic to Threepio, who was already complaining about having too much to hold. Ignoring him, Leia proceeded to the other side of the shop where she sought out the frilliest, most feminine looking dress she could find. With a smirk on her face she brought it back and held it up for Luke. "What about this?" she asked.
"Yeah sure," Luke said, stifling a yawn. "Whatever."
Leia burst out laughing at this point. "Really Luke? I didn't realize you liked lacey things," she said.
Luke looked over at her and couldn't help but laugh too when he saw what she was holding up. "Uh, maybe not," he said. "That's more your style," he added.
Leia looked at the dress. "Uh, no," she said. "Way too frilly for me."
Luke smiled, glad to hear that his sister wasn't a total girly girl.
"You two about ready?" Captain Kassel asked.
"I think so," Leia replied. "At least Luke is," she added.
Kassel looked at Luke with a smile. "Don't like shopping?" he asked.
"Do you?" Luke countered.
"Not a bit," Kassel replied. "Come on, let's get these things bought. Your father will be wondering where you are."
Vader entered his office to find a young woman sitting waiting for him. When he'd engaged the services of a lawyer, he had expected someone older and far less feminine. Still, she obviously knew what she was doing since she'd agreed to see him.
"Good afternoon, Lord Vader," she said, standing up. "I'm Lara Varsin, family law," she continued, holding out a hand to him.
Vader was surprised by the gesture and merely looked at her until she lowered her hand again. "Sit down, Miss Varsin," he said. "I have a legal matter that needs to be taken care of as quickly as possible."
"Of course," she said, reaching into her valise to take out a datapad. "Tell me what you need."
"I want to change the surname of each of my children," Vader told her. "Legally change them."
Lara looked up, unable to hide the surprise and confusion in her expression. The fact that Vader had children was startling enough; but why did he want to change their names?
"That won't be a problem, sir," she said, taking notes, "so long as the children's mother agrees to it."
"Their mother is dead," Vader said simply.
"Oh," Lara replied, feeling awkward. "I'm sorry," she added. She couldn't help but wonder about the mother of Darth Vader's children; who was she? And how had she died?
Vader watched her, the woman's unprotected mind making her questions obvious to him. "My wife is no concern of yours, Miss Varsin," he said. "I would advise you not to think of her again."
Lara looked up quickly from her datapad, half expecting to be struck down by Vader. "I won't sir," she replied. "Forgive me. Now, what are the current names of your children?" she asked.
"Luke Skywalker and Leia Organa," Vader told her. "They were kidnapped at birth and raised separately," he added, not wishing to go into the personal details of the history. "I have recently found them, and wish to make them mine in every sense of the word, including my name."
Lara nodded in understanding. "Of course you do," she said. Ordinarily under such circumstances, she would ask for documentation proving that he was the twins' father; but given the fact that this was Darth Vader, the right hand of the emperor, she decided it would be prudent to forego that formality. "Is there anything else I can do for you?" she asked instead.
"No," he replied. "But should I think of something, I will contact you," he said, standing up, letting her know the meeting was over.
"Very good," she said, standing up as well. "Thank you, Lord Vader," she said, closing her valise. "I'll be in touch."
As he walked her out the door, Luke and Leia came racing down the corridor and nearly ran into her. Lara smiled and looked back at Vader. "Your children?" she asked.
Vader nodded, annoyed by the twins' behavior.
"They're charming," she said. "Goodbye, Lord Vader," she added. "I'll show myself out."
Vader waited until she had disappeared from view before he turned to the twins. "Is there a reason you are running in the house?" he asked, his displeasure clear in his voice.
"No, well, not really I guess," Luke replied, looking at Leia.
"I guess we're just happy to be home," Leia added, ever the diplomat.
Her words calmed Vader, just as Padmé's always had, and he simply shook his head in amusement. "Try not to be so …enthusiastic next time," he remarked.
Leia smiled. "Okay, Father," she said, trying out the name for the first time. "We bought Luke lots of new clothes," she told him as they started walking towards their room. "Do you want to see them?"
Vader didn't want to squelch his daughter's enthusiasm, but he had absolutely no interest in seeing them. "Perhaps later," he said.
"See Leia?" Luke said. "I told you. Guys think clothes are boring, right Father?"
Vader had no desire to be drawn into the middle of another tête-à-tête between the twins; and yet his son was so eager to relate to him on some level, that he felt compelled to answer him. "Yes, you're right," he said. "But it's polite to pretend not to be, for the sake of ladies," he added, looking at Leia.
Luke wasn't sure if he ought to laugh or not, so he merely shrugged.
"Oh my goodness," Threepio lamented as he came toddling into the room, laden with parcels. "I'm quite worn out from all this excitement."
Artoo whistled something derogatory, to which Threepio merely told him to switch off, his standard come back.
"Come on Threepio," Leia said. "These things aren't going to put themselves away, you know."
"Yes, Mistress Leia," Threepio sighed. "I'm coming."
Alderaan
Breha Organa awoke with a start, yet another nightmare having haunted her sleep. It seemed that since losing Leia she had nightmares almost every night now. The ache in her heart that had begun the day Leia had left was not going away. Breha doubted that it ever would.
Rolling over in the enormous bed, Breha realized that she was alone. She sat up and listened for Bail, but he was not in the room. She got out of bed and noticed that the door to the balcony was ajar. Realizing that was where he was, Breha walked outside.
"Can't sleep?"
Bail turned to his wife, her voice startling him. "No," he told her. "You?"
Breha shook her head. "I had another nightmare," she said.
Bail nodded, not surprised to hear it. She had woken him up on more than one occasion with troubled cries in her sleep. "I had one too," he told her, leaning his forearms on the railing and looking out into the darkness. "I dreamed that he found Padmé."
Breha said nothing in response for a moment. "I think she ought to be told," she said finally. "She has a right to know."
Bail shook his head, his own heart in turmoil. "How can she be told?" he asked his wife. "She thinks they're dead, Breha. We told her that they'd died, remember? How can we tell her the truth now?"
Breha frowned. "I have always hated the way she was lied to," she said quietly. "Imagine how the poor woman has suffered!"
"We wouldn't have had Leia if she'd been told the truth," Bail pointed out.
Breha knew he was right, and part of her felt like a hypocrite because of it.
"I know she's suffered," Bail continued, looking at his wife. "But the Jedi insisted that this was the only way to ensure the safety of Luke and Leia."
"Well it didn't exactly work, did it?" Breha pointed out. "Vader has them both, and Padmé is all alone, believing her precious babies died ten years ago. What's the sense of continuing this charade now?"
"Padmé is safe where she is," Bail replied.
Breha considered this for a moment. "If I were her, I'd want to know," she said. "Even if knowing meant coming out of hiding. I'd want to know, Bail, and so would she. You know her better than I do. Can you honestly say that I'm wrong?"
Bail shook his head. "No," he admitted. "You're absolutely right. It's just that…." He stopped as a frown creased his brow.
"It's just that you don't want to be the one to tell her," Breha finished for him.
Bail nodded. The thought of having to tell Padmé that she'd been lied to, that she'd suffered unnecessarily for ten years, that she'd been robbed of the first decade of her children's lives had created a cold pit of dread in Bail's stomach. And yet, who else would tell her? The Jedi? They were conveniently hidden away, far from Vader and his emperor. No, it would fall upon Bail to tell her. And he would be the one to bear the brunt of her anger and resentment. But perhaps that is only fitting, he reflected. Perhaps it's what I must do as punishment for allowing her to be lied to in the first place, for going along with this heartless plot at all…
"You're right," Bail said at last. "She must be told. Only…I don't know what the fallout will be once she does know. Knowing Padmé, she will stop at nothing to get her children back."
Breha smiled. "All the more reason to tell her, don't you think?"
Coruscant
It has been nearly three months since I have seen my wife, three months without hearing the sound of her voice, without touching her…but all that is about to change. Three days' furlough has been given to me, a much welcome break from this wretched war, and I am racing home to see my Angel.
Giving Obi-Wan a plausible excuse, I leave him at the temple and head for home. It is dark outside, and yet the traffic is still heavy, taxing my patience even more. I dodge in and out of traffic, narrowly avoiding more than one collision, ignoring the dirty looks and curses hurled in my direction. My need for Padmé is too great, and I am determined not to let anything or anyone stand in my way.
The apartment is dark when I finally arrive home. I simply stand in the hallway for a moment, soaking in the peaceful, warm ambiance of my home. I can sense my wife everywhere here, and know that she is sleeping right now. I smile as an idea comes to me, the thought of it sending a surge of desire through me that is almost painful in its intensity.
Stealing down the corridor, I walk into the bedroom. In the darkness I can make out Padmé's sleeping form on the bed, and for a moment I simply watch her as she sleeps. Her beauty takes my breath away. I know I will never cease to be amazed by the power she has over me. Even now, in her sleep, her very presence stirs my senses.
Silently I undress, leaving my clothes and boots in a pile on the floor that she will no doubt chastise me for in the morning. I smile as I think of how I will tease her for being so fussy, and move over to the bed.
Using the Force, I remove the blanket from her body and look at her. The thin fabric of her nightgown has ridden up and is bunched around her hips. I climb onto the end of the bed and move up to her bare feet. Bending to her, I plant a soft kiss on her ankle as my hands move along the insides of her calves. Padmé begins to stir as my kisses become more insistent, my hands more aggressive; and when my tongue finds the back of one knee, she moans softly. I smile, looking up at her and realize that she is dreaming. I wonder how many dreams like this she's had during our separation.
"Ani?" she murmurs in her sleep, starting to awaken. "Ani are you here?"
I move up and lie beside her, pulling her body to mine. "I'm here," he tell her, burying my face in her hair, pressing kisses to her neck. "I've missed you, Padmé," I whisper, "So much," I add, bringing my mouth to hers and kissing her deeply. Padmé returns my kiss with equal ardor, her arms wrapped around my neck…
Vader awoke at this point, simply slamming the door on the memory that his unconscious mind had invoked. He thought that he'd learned not to need her, to master the weakness; but the dreams he had of her told him differently. Even after ten years he still needed her, still wanted her; but she is gone now, she died just as you foresaw, just as you feared. Rage filled Vader, quickly replacing the lust that had filled him as a result of his dream. You lied to me, my master, he thought, clenching his fists in anger; you told me I could save her…you told me that was the only way…and I believed you…I believed you!!
Lowering his helmet, Vader decided not to allow his mind to torment him any longer. He left his hyperbaric chamber and left his quarters, deciding to use the time to work on the pile of work that was steadily growing higher on his desk.
