Star Wars: The Price of Redemption
Chapter 11 - Together, Part 1
Author's Note: Walt Disney Pictures and Lucasfilm are the rightful owners of "Star Wars".
The things that I do for my son, thought Anakin, as he landed his ship on the platform.
A few minutes later, the Jedi Knight was walking across the sandy beach, following the person that he had been chasing.
Once the person was only a few feet away from him, Anakin stopped moving, and waited for her to speak.
"Why did you follow me?"
Anakin sighed, and said, "Because I feel like I need to explain some things to you..."
"There is nothing for you to explain to me, Lord Vader," growled an angered Jyn, turning around to face him. "How could you?"
"Jyn, I know you must be upset, and I can understand that," said Anakin. "But I had nothing to do with the death of your parents or companions that-"
"You might as well have," exclaimed Jyn. "You were part of the Empire, as was Krennic, whom I saw shoot my mother-"
"Jyn, please, I am sorry for the loss of your mother. I understand-"
"How could someone like you possibly understand? How could a terrible, horrifying, monstrous-"
All of a sudden, Anakin gritted his teeth, and yelled, "ENOUGH!"
The young woman became quiet, while the Jedi took a deep breath, released it, then said, "I know what it's like, Jyn, when it feels like you've lost everything."
"And how exactly would you know that feeling?" asked Jyn.
"Because, at one point, I thought I had," replied Anakin. "My mother was gone, I had been told that my wife had been killed because of my anger, and I'd lost someone that was like a brother to me."
When Jyn didn't respond, Anakin decided to continue. "So, yes, as Darth Vader, I was one of the most deadliest people that ever existed in the entire galaxy... but everything changed once I met Luke."
"How exactly?"
As Luke finished telling Leia about what happened with Jyn (whom she was already familiar with), his sister said, "Well, I hate to break it to you, Luke, but I can understand why Jyn did what she did."
Luke frowned, and was about to speak when Leia held up her hand. "Hear me out, okay? I know what you meant by the goodness that Va- I mean, that... Anakin has inside of him, and I am grateful that we are able to finally spend time with our real mother, but...
"As I said before, you weren't there in the Death Star, being tortured for information about the Death Star plans, or held back while your home planet is destroyed."
Luke sighed, and replied, "I know you two have a complicated relationship for the time being... and I can accept that... but I trust our Father now, and I am willing to forgive him for all that he's done..."
He then waited a moment before adding, "I just wish I could have handled the situation differently with Jyn."
Hearing the sad tone in her brother's voice, Leia asked, "Why are you caring so much for someone that you just met a few days ago?"
"I just... do, Leia," answered Luke. "The first time I met her, it was like-"
"How your father and I first met," finished Padmé, who appeared from out of nowhere.
"Mother?" Luke said. "W-why are you..."
"Anakin and I had a conversation before he left," replied Padmé. "And judging from what you just said, you're acting very similar to the way your father did the first time he met me."
Luke found himself blushing. "I'm not in love with her or anything like that, Mother, I just-"
"Find yourself caring deeply for her," said the former Queen of Naboo. "Am I right?"
Jyn sighed, and said, "To be honest with you, Va... Master Skywalker, I am not exactly perfect in that kind of department."
"Well, neither was I," admitted Anakin. "But as I've learned, the Force works in mysterious ways, and I believe that there is a reason why you and Luke met each other that day when I left to Mustafar."
"So, what, you think that Luke and I are supposed to be some sort of star-crossed lovers or something?"
Anakin chuckled, and replied, "I'll leave that between you and him, Jyn... but not every great relationship starts the way you expect it to. Just look at me and Leia with Padmé and Han."
Jyn rolled her eyes, but found herself smiling a little. "Well, your son is a... charming young man..."
The Chosen One smiled, and said, "Like I said, not my decision to make... so why don't we go on back to Naboo so that you can find out yourself?"
She looked out into the ocean, watching the waves travel up and down, and turned back to look at Anakin, nodding her head.
"Good... because I'd like to get off of this planet."
Jyn chuckled, and said, "You aren't particularly fond of sand, are you?"
"Not in the slightest, Erso," replied Anakin, as he began walking back to his ship.
A few hours later...
By the time Anakin had landed his ship, Jyn had already gotten out of hers, and he saw that she was already talking to his son.
"Luke, I... I'm sorry..." said Jyn. "I never should have-"
The young Jedi shook his head. "No, I should be the one apologizing for not telling you..."
Anakin laid back against his ship, chuckling to himself until he heard a familiar voice say, "Does that remind you of us, Ani?"
"Honestly, Padmé... I'm not too sure just yet. We don't even know if they'll end up together like that."
"I do," replied the former Senator, smiling at her son. "Don't you?"
Anakin shrugged his shoulders, and replied, "I'll leave that decision up to them, Padmé, but I actually... whoa..."
"What?" asked Padmé.
The Jedi Knight chuckled, and gestured over to Luke and Jyn. "That was fast."