A/N: Anoher chapter. This story will end pretty soon, like in a couple more chapters. Anyway. Today is my birthday and instead of treating myself, I'm treating you. I know I'm so kind. Anyway, enjoy.
Charlie.
When the morning came on Tatooine Luke and Leia found themselves waking up to a ten year old bouncing in their room.
"Ugggg an invasion!" Luke called.
"Shut up Luke!" Leia said throwing her pillow over her head.
"House rules, no sleeping in!" Lexie told them.
Luke sleepily looked over at his wrist crono and groaned. It was only five o clock standard time. "Why me?" he groaned.
At that point Anakin knocked on the door. "Time to get up! There's work to do!" he told them.
Luke and Leia groaned at the chirpy tone in their father's voice.
"Just because you're not going to be here most of the times doesn't mean that you'll be exempted from work. It's house rules, we're a team and as a team we share the work," Lexie told them.
"Jedi shouldn't be forced to do farm work on a dust ball," Luke complained.
Leia threw a pillow at her brother. "Shut up!" she said.
"Hey it wasn't my idea to come here!" Luke told her catching the pillow.
"Neither was it mine. Ben thought it would be a good idea if we came here," Leia told him.
Lexie tilted her head to the side. "Who's Ben?" she asked.
"Our uncle," Luke told her simply not wanting to explain the thing about master and padawan to the miniature farmer.
"Ten more seconds!" Anakin called them.
"Since you're up now I'll just leave you two to get dressed," Lexie said skipping out of the room.
"Just how long do we have to stay here?" Luke asked.
"I think a couple of days would be sufficient enough. We can always make an excuse to go back," Leia said.
Good," Luke said standing up. "The sooner that I get off of this planet of dust the better," he said.
"Hoth is no better," Leia told him.
"At least on Hoth we'll be doing something productive. Squeezing water out of dirt is not my idea of productive," Luke said.
"We just have to keep pointing things out to Dad and let him think about it. He'll come around soon enough. I think I may have started to get him thinking," Leia said.
"You're being optimistic," Luke remarked.
"Someone has to," Leia pointed out.
"We may have to face facts that this may be a lost cause without Mom joining us," Luke told her.
Leia didn't say anything as she thought about her brother's words. She didn't want to accept it. She just didn't.
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When the twins entered the dining room they stopped dead in their tracks when they saw their father. All of his hair was gone replaced by a bald head. "What did you do????" the demanded in unison.
Anakin looked up at them then. "What do you mean?" he asked.
"Your hair," Leia said.
"You're fraggen bald!" Luke yelled.
"I don't want any foul language in my house," Owen said frowning.
"I think it's a nice new look," Anakin said turning back to his meal and taking a bite of salted bantha meat. "Sit down and eat. We have a treat today. It's not often that we get salted bantha meat. I doubt that you've ever had it nor the sweet tasting blue milk," he finished.
"I can see the light shining off of the top of your head," Luke said flatly clearly not liking this new look.
"Why would you shave your head?" Leia asked.
"Anonymity. A drastic change in appearance will give a person a new identity. I lived most of my life in the spotlight. I can't very well walk around and take the chance of being recognized. I'm supposed to be dead remember," Anakin told them simply.
Luke and Leia slowly took their seats at the table. "Then you're going out in public, you're leaving this dust ball?" Luke asked.
"I didn't say that," Anakin answered. "I have to go out around here at some point. Mos Eisly and Mos Espa are both crowded with scum and villainy. Most of which I had come across at some point when I was a jedi. If they see me word could get out that I survived the purges and the Empire would come barging down here."
Luke frowned and Leia quickly thought about her next words. "The best place for a jedi to hide is with the alliance. There are several who have survived that have contacted the alliance over the years," she said.
"The Alliance wouldn't accept me, not with some of the thing's I've done," Anakin said putting a close on the subject.
"What have you done Uncle Anakin?" Lexie asked.
"Never you mind," Anakin told her quickly.
Owen looked over at his step brother not knowing what it was he had done but knowing that it must have been bad. "One does have a few things in their past that they regret. It's only natural to have regrets," he said looking pointedly at Anakin. "Some do things in a time of grief that they later regret for example," he finished.
Anakin looked over at Owen then in surprise. "That is one motivator," he said.
Luke and Leia looked at each other then figuring that this reference was to something in their father's past that they knew nothing about.
Lexie cleaned her plate and announced, "I'm done."
"Go ahead and start your schoolwork," Owen said to his daughter.
"Yes Daddy," Lexie said obediently leaving the table with her dishes.
"It's an early day and work needs to be done. When the three of you are done eating you can come help," Owen said standing up.
When they were gone Luke and Leia felt better about saying what they came here to say. "We want you to come home with us Dad," Leia said.
Anakin sat back in his chair. "And your mother? What does she want?" he asked.
Luke and Leia looked at each other again before turning back to him. "She hasn't said anything," Leia said at last.
"You're making this request without your mother's consent. I can't give in to that. No. I'm not coming back. Too much damage had been done," Anakin told them.
"You're making excuses. Stop beating around the bush and just tell us that the reason you're not coming is because you don't want to come home!" Luke said.
"That's not it," Anakin told him.
"That's exactly it! You would rather stay on this skraggen dust ball than own up to what you did!" Luke yelled standing up.
"Luke," Leia warned.
"That's not what I'm doing, Luke," Anakin told him. "I know that things don't seem good right now but they will get better. Now sit down and finished your breakfast," he said calmly.
"E Chu Ta Shag!" Luke yelled the curse at his father. He really didn't anticipate the reaction he got out his father. In fact he didn't anticipate anything at all.
Anakin stood up so fast that both twins widened their eyes. "SIT DOWN, SHUT UP AND EAT YOUR BREAKFAST!!!!" he roared.
Leia tore her eyes away from her father to look at Luke. Both twins seemed frozen in fear until finally Luke sat down under his father's watchful gaze.
Once Luke was seated and silent Anakin sat back down. "Do you even know what you just said to me?" he demanded. He looked at Luke pointedly.
Luke didn't say a word he just shook his head.
"I wouldn't yell curses at people if you don't know what they mean you could get a reaction out of somebody that you didn't anticipate coming. Consider yourself lucky that I didn't bash your teeth in just then," Anakin told him tightly. "You're both going back to your mother today and I want no more talk of me joining you. Do I make myself clear?" he said.
Luke and Leia nodded both still unable to speak a word.
"Good. Finish up. I'll tell Obi-Wan to await your arrival," Anakin said standing up and leaving the table.
When he was gone Leia punched her brother "You half witted scruffy looking nerfhearder!" she snapped. "Now we'll never get him back!"
"No one can make someone do what they don't want to do Leia," Luke told her getting up from the table leaving his sister alone.
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Owen Lars stood off in the distance as he watched the twins say goodbye to their father. Owen was in the next room when he heard Luke curse at his father and Anakin's short fuse response. It was obvious to him that something more significant had happened to drive the Skywalker family apart and with Luke's obvious anger towards his father he guessed that Anakin did something a lot more than get divorced. Owen wanted to mind his business, but whatever this was, it was family. He needed to get to the bottom of this.
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Leia hugged her father as they stood by the X-wings. "Luke didn't mean what he said," she whispered.
"You don't have to apologize for your brother. What he says or does does not reflect on you," Anakin told her before releasing her.
Leia held back her tears getting the feeling that this would be the last time that they would ever spend time together.
Anakin then turned to Luke who stood to the side sullenly. "You know this might be the last time we see each other for a while. Lets drop any hard feelings for now," he said.
Luke didn't say anything right away. Finally he stepped closer and held out his hand. "This is goodbye then isn't it," he said.
Anakin looked down at Luke's hand not wanting to take it like they were just acquaintances. He wanted to give his son a proper goodbye but Luke apparently didn't want it. Instead of giving Luke a hug goodbye, he took his offered hand. "Take care of yourself, Son," he said.
"Goodbye Anakin," Luke said turning away and getting into his X-wing.
Anakin watched his son leave wanting to call him back. He didn't want them to leave yet. But it was too late to make this visit last any longer. Besides it wasn't exactly pleasant. He hoped that the next one would be. He turned to his daughter and nodded at her. "Go on," he told her. He gave her a quick smile. "You're needed elsewhere right now," he said.
"You're needed too," Leia told him.
"I know where my place is. Now go," Anakin told her.
Leia hugged him one more time. She wanted to say more but she found herself unable to say anything else. Instead she pulled away and held her tears before climbing into her X-wing.
Anakin watched as his children took off in their ships and left him feeling that he wouldn't see them again in a long time. He watched them leave until he could no longer see the ships before turning to the work that needed to be done.
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Luke didn't care too much for hyperspace that much. He preferred taking complete control of his ship and pulling maneuvers. Hyperspace gave him nothing to do but think. He normally used this time to meditate but not this time. This time he had too much on his mind. He kept thinking of his father. Of how easy he had given up. It was as though Anakin Skywalker didn't want a family, didn't want to help the galaxy. And if that was the case, how could Luke come from such a less honorable man. Why would his mother love him so much.
"Ani wasn't always like this"His mother had broken down in tears when she uttered those words. She seemed, to Luke, to still be in love with an image of a man that no longer existed. Part of him didn't want to go back and hear her in the middle of the night. He didn't want to hear her crying and calling out his name. He sometimes hated his father for this but then he reminded himself that hate lead to the dark side. He would never follow down the path of the dark side like his father did.
It was with that thought that something began to happen. His X-wing dropped out of hyperspace. Luke looked around wildly and saw his sister's X-wing join him.
"Luke what's going on?" Leia cried.
It was then that Luke saw the star destroyer. "Sithspit!" he yelled. "Leia get back into hyperspace!" he called and worked the controls on his ship but nothing happened.
"Nothing is happening Luke!" Leia called.
Then the ship started moving toward the star destroyer. "Sithspawn!" Luke cursed furiously working at the controls of his ship.
"Luke!"
"They have us in a tractor beam!" Luke said frightfully.
"What are we going to do?!" Leia asked clearly frightened.
Luke watched as the star destroyer became closer and tried to think about what Ben would do in this situation but nothing appealed to him. "We're not going down without a fight. Be sure to have your lightsaber handy," Luke told his sister.
"We're outnumbered Luke it's not going to work," Leia told him.
Luke then remembered one of Ben's tales from the clone wars. About how many times he was outnumbered. "We'll make it, we're jedi remember," he said.
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As the twins were pulled into the hanger bay of the star destroyer they had already prepared themselves for battle. As dozens of storm troopers surrounded them they popped open their canopies and jumped out of their X-wings, lightsabers ignited and deflected blaster fire while cutting down the surrounding storm troopers.
"Next move genius?"Leia demanded as more storm troopers came into the hanger.
"We have to disable the tractor beam," Luke told her.
"And then how are we going to escape?" Leia demanded, "We're surrounded by the enemy and we've made ourselves known as jedi," she pointed out.
"We'll make it," Luke said as he sent blaster fire back to it's owner.
Suddenly the storm troopers stopped their firing and stood in formation. Luke and Leia looked around them still on their guard.
"I've got a bad feeling," Leia said ominously.
"Yeah," Luke agreed and then saw red robed guards followed by a cloaked figure.
"Welcome young Skywalkers, I've been waiting for you," Emperor Palpatine said.
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A couple of days later Anakin continued to work on his ship getting the last thing done growing satisfied with the outcome. But to him there still seemed to be things that needed to be done. He stepped back and appraised the ship's new appearance. It wasn't perfect and he doubted if it ever would be. But it looked less like a hunk of junk. He had spend hours ripping apart the inside and replacing parts but he had yet to really test it.
"You sure did a number on that thing," Owen said walking up to him.
"Yeah. It took a lot of work though," Anakin said.
"Too bad you couldn't get Luke and Leia to help you with it," Owen said.
"I have another project to do with them for the next time," Anakin told him.
"The speeder bikes?" Owen asked.
"Yeah,"
Owen paused for a bit choosing his words carefully. "Look I heard what Luke said to you," he said at last.
"I'm sorry that you heard that," Anakin said going back to his ship.
Owen wanted to say more but another ship slowly making it's way towards them. "Anyone else you know?" he asked.
Anakin looked up as he sensed the other ship just in time to see the Millennium Falcon land. As the ramp lowered Anakin received his surprise when Padme ran down the ramp.
"Where are they?" she demanded.
"Where are who?" Anakin asked her getting the feeling that something was up.
"Don't play dumb Anakin it doesn't suit you!" Padme snapped. "You said that you were sending Luke and Leia back days ago, where are they?" she demanded.
"They left three days ago, I assumed that they were with you!" Anakin told her.
"It's true, I saw them take off," Owen said speaking up for his step brother.
"Stay out of this!" both Anakin and Padme said.
Anakin then noticed Obi-Wan approaching them. "There's something the two of you should know," he said. "We just received a distress signal from Luke's astromech droid a short bit ago," he said.
Padme's hands went up to her mouth in fear. "They're okay, tell me they're okay," she said.
"I can't read the readout, it's in huttese. Apparently Arsix has been programed with huttese," Obi-Wan said handing Anakin the readout.
"fierfrek!" Anakin exclaimed loudly.
"Come now! No foul language I don't want my daughter using those words!" Owen said.
Anakin looked Obi-Wan in the eye. "They've been captured," he said. "By the emperor," he finished.
Padme palled at this. "No, no, no!" she said. "He'll kill them! He'll kill them because of you!" she screamed launching herself at Anakin and punching him.
Anakin grabbed hold of her fists to halt the attack. "We'll get the back. No harm will come to Luke and Leia, I promise," he told her.
"No!" Padme snapped. "You've done enough damage! I don't want you to do anything for us. You never have and we certainly don't need you to now!" she told him.
"I'm the only one who can get them back Padme. I'm going," Anakin told her.
"No! I've been taking care of my kids on my own for years. I don't need your help," Padme said.
"Padme, you cannot just barge into the Emperor's residence and demand that he give you your children back, it doesn't work that way," Obi-Wan calmly told her.
"I'll make it work!" Padme said stubbornly.
"Will you stop thinking irrationally and accept the fact that you need me?" Anakin demanded grabbing her shoulders and forcing her to look at him.
Padme pulled away from him then. "How dare you tell me that I'm being irrational! When you're the king of it! You turned your back on your family because of a stupid dream! You left me alone to raise our children! Where were you all those years Anakin?! Where were you when my babies were sick?! Where were you when they almost died?! Where were you when they woke up from terrible nightmares?! Where were you?! I'll tell you where you were! You were out there committing mass murder for your precious emperor!!!" she screamed punching him.
Anakin didn't stop her assault knowing that she had every right to hit him for what he had done. He knew that she was right and there wasn't a thing he could do to change it. It wasn't long before she grew tired of punching him and broke down crying. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry . I wish that I could change it Padme. If I had a chance to go back in time I would do things differently," he told her wrapping his arms around her.
By that time Han had joined them witnessing the whole thing. "I have the coordinates readout from that distress signal," he said handing the readout to Obi-Wan.
Obi-Wan turned to Han. "Thank you," he said and turned to Anakin. "I think it would be best if we rested a moment and come up with a plan," he said.
"I agree. The Emperor will be expecting a rescue team, I think a plan is an excellent idea," Anakin said.
"I want to get to them now," Padme said pulling herself away from Anakin.
Anakin looked at her then. He didn't want her to be put in danger. If she faced the emperor now, she would be facing his wrath. "I think that it would be a good idea if you stayed here. In your state of distress you could be vulnerable," he said.
Padme shook her head. "No! I'm not staying here when my children are in danger!" she told him.
"I think that Anakin is right on this Padme," Obi-Wan told her agreeing with Anakin.
Padme looked at them outraged that they would even suggest that she stay put when Luke and Leia were in danger. "Han get the Falcon ready, we're going after them she said walking toward the Falcon.
"Padme I don't think..." Han said.
"I don't care about what you think, any of you!" Padme told them.
"Padme!" Anakin said grabbing her arm.
Padme turned to him then ready to demand that he let her go but Anakin waved his hand in front of her eyes and for some reason she instantly felt drowsy. Anakin caught her just as she fell asleep before she hit the ground.
"She isn't going to like that trick you just pulled Anakin," Obi-Wan told him.
Anakin looked away from Padme's sleeping face and up at his old mentor. "She'll have to deal with it," he said. He then looked off in the distance. "A sand storm is coming, come on, we better get inside," he said at last.
Obi-Wan looked over to where Anakin was looking but didn't see anything. "I don't see anything," he said.
"That's because you don't live on Tatooine, come on," Owen said ushering the group inside.
Anakin picked Padme up and carried her inside taking her to his room where he laid her down on the bed.
"How long is she going to be asleep?" Han asked from the doorway.
"Until the morning," Anakin said turning away from Padme's sleeping form. He placed a hand on Han shoulder. "It's best to let her sleep. She'll feel better when she has had some sleep," he said leaving the room.