Chapter Twelve

Waiting

Princess Leia found herself listening to the distant sound of sobbing. She turned and found herself outside Anakin's door, her biological father. She knocked softly before opening the door.

Anakin dried his eyes and took a deep breathe, he was suddenly reminded of the first time they were in this position when she cocked her head to the side and smiled, a compassionate smile that was his wife's.

"What weren't you crying about?" she asked.

"Jedi don't cry," Anakin replied.

"I heard you," she insisted.

"I'm not an ordinary Jedi."

"So I've noticed," she said, dryly. "If you won't me to leave you alone..."

"Don't go, your presence is soothing. Like your mother's. I miss her Leia. I've been gone for so long. "

"I'm sorry, Anakin."

"One day, like Luke I would like to hear you call me Dad."

"I already had a Dad, Anakin. How long have you known? You knew I...had feelings for you," she said her voice catching. "Were you laughing at me? Calling me ten thousand different kinds of fool?" she asked her face flaming, as her eyes clashed with his.

"No, Leia. I have feeling for you, fatherly feeling. If you are honest you will realize those are the same feeling you had for me. You just misinterpret them."

"Perhaps," she said giving in. "I love Han, please Anakin don't tell me he's my brother or cousin or anything at all. I'm almost afraid to care for anyone at all."

"No, Leia. There is no one else related to you," Anakin said, sadly thinking of Darth Vader, their enemy and himself. "I want to go home, Leia."

"All in good time, Ani," Anakin heard and saw Qui-Gon.

"Am I seeing things?" Leia asked seeing the blue figure of the old Jedi Master.

"It's the force Leia," the Jedi Master replied. "it's nice to see you face to face, daughter of the Chosen One. I was the one who found your father on Tattooine. It's a pleasure to meet you, Leia. My name is Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn."

"You know everything right?" she asked.

"Not everything, Leia."

"How is Han?"

"In carbonite. he will be fine, if you hurry. Obi-Wan is on his way," Qui-Gon said disappearing.

Luke entered the room. "We are entering the Tattooine star systems."

"Excellent, son. Go ahead and record the message for Artoo," Anakin advised as he slipped his Jedi robe on over his tunic and pulled on his boots. He looked at the double-bladed silver lightsaber he had constructed. It was an old Jedi lore, the myth of the silver lightsaber. Some said that the first Jedi had constructed it. Anakin knew that when he was strong enough he would be able to wield it, but he was still only a Jedi Knight. Some said that Raven, a fallen Jedi who had fought in the Great Mandatories war had wielded one like that. That he had destroyed his fellow Jedi and then had brought them to reign like none other. Anakin hadn't cared much for history but he could always relate with the power of wielding such a lightsaber. He had built it on Dagabah, and wasn't ready to put it to practice. The day he defeated Vader and his Emperor he would be. Obi-Wan had seen the double-bladed lightsaber.

"It's like none I've ever seen before."

"I know. I'm not ready for it, but I will be. On that day, I will be the most powerful Jedi ever," he said filled with certainty.

"I have no doubt," Obi-Wan had replied. The Millinum Falcon landed near the Lars homestead and Anakin sent them to Jabba the Hutt as they waited and mediated, waiting for Obi-Wan's arrival.