Hi everybody! I managed to get an update put together for you guys! It's a little slower, but lays an important foundation for the remainder of the story!

enjoy!

Chapter 14

How could I have let this happen?

Realizing my grave mistake, I swallow thickly, raising my hands slowly and meeting my captors' burning gaze. Kota's shimmering green blade humming dangerously at my throat.

"So how about it General?" The blind Jedi purrs, teasing his energy blade closer to my sweat dampened neck, "Care to share who, or what, you really are?"

"I-"

A sharp trill of sound shatters the silence, the blood scanner finished with it's DNA analysis.

"Oh my…" Aelynn strode forward, eyes glued to the readout of the scanner. Kneeling down, she turned the bright screen towards me.

"Kriff," I pant, realizing that with my Jedi records erased, only one name would come up with my DNA.

"Care to explain Milord?" The Fosh tipped her head, eyes smoldering in mistrust and betrayal.
Kota sees the name on the screen as well, and I can nearly taste his hatred of my name as he snatches the front of my shirt in a bandaged fist.

"So Vader…" He breathes, the stench of Alliance rations on his breath, "You survived…" Grinning devilishly, he draws nearer, "Won't little Luke be surprised to see his daddy's killer dressed in the sheepskin of his father? How'd you manage to pull that off? New cybernetics after your little swim?"

My eyes widening in shock, I spring on top of the shorter man. Pressing his skull into the ice, I growl defensively:

"Don't you dare tell him! He is my life! He cannot know about who I really am! I don't want to ruin the only chance I have to bond with my son!" Shaking from adrenaline, I hold Kota firmly down with my unwavering mechanical hand. Satisfied he is listening, "He is too innocent… I don't want it ripped away from him so soon after we've found each other…"

I turn my head to face Aelynn, her hand hovering above the comm button to High Command.

"Please…" I strain to keep my voice steady, a tear carving its way down my cheek as I stretch out my flesh hand, "Don't do this… I know I've done horrible things, and have hurt everyone in the galaxy -Including myself- But I cannot, and will not, bring myself to see harm come to Luke… He is all I have left."

Her hand pauses, and draws back slightly at my words, her stance still distrusting.

"Why should I believe you Vader?" She replies, the hurt in her eyes evident, "You've destroyed the Jedi… The Republic! Millions have died at your hands!" She steps closer, "Tell me… How have you not drowned on all that blood?"

Believe me, not a day goes by where I don't ask myself the same thing…

"I am the Empire's Second in Command," I offer, hoping to use something to my advantage, "And the Supreme Commander of the Imperial Forces…" Both Aelynn and Kota perk slightly at this. It's not every day, you have Darth Vader offering a compromise.

"I have information no one else has… If you keep my true identity secret, I will give you what you need to bring down the Emperor." I sense their dumbfounded thoughts rippling in the Force as I continue. "He has lied to me, and betrayed my trust too many times for me to hold any loyalty to him." In a show of trust, I remove my crushing hold from Kota and stand slowly, offering a cybernetic hand to help him up.

As if disgusted by the skinless, slightly skeletal prosthetic, Kota disregards my offer, and clambers to his feet on his own.

"I'm listening…" Aelynn plants herself before me, as if her four-and-a-half foot frame could keep me from the door, if I so wished to pass. "How do you propose we keep this a secret though? Once you begin to provide such high level information, it will be near impossible to maintain the story that the Empire captured you and held you against your will."

"I see your reasoning…" Thoughtfully, I ruffle my damp hair, "Either way I go, whether to say I served the Empire as a normal officer, or to say I was Darth Vader, I am a traitor in their eyes…"

"Only difference is how likely it is for someone to kill you." Kota added, making himself known behind me.

"And how fast the rumors spread…" Aelynn adds, folding her arms in disdain. "I say, approach High Command about it. Present your case, and the offer you made us. They, of all people, can keep the word from spreading if you go straight to them. Only then, can you keep that particular fact about yourself under wraps…"

Exiled? The word continues to ravage his mind, tearing through any shred of confidence Obi-Wan had left.

Somehow, I knew that I'd be a failure… I was never the Jedi Qui-Gon was…

Not only was his apprentice apparently doomed to fall to the Dark Side, but he had been stripped of the only life he'd ever known…

Now I know how Anakin felt when he left Tatooine…

Obi-Wan stared down at his civilian clothes in realization. All this time, he hadn't had an inkling of what it was like to leave a life behind.

Newly depressed at his lack of empathy during his Padawan's tutelage, the ex-Master made his way into the medical bay, only to find Padme pacing by the viewport as she had this morning.

"Any change Padme?"

Somewhat startled at his voice, the Senator paused abruptly. Turning to to the Stewjonian, she took a double take at his appearance.

"O-Obi-Wan?!" She gasped at his rather bedraggled apparel, instead of sporting his typically neat Jedi tunic, he was dressed in a rather grungy dark blue shirt, and faded grey pants. "What happened?!"

"Take a guess," Obi-Wan sighed, leaning against the darkened windows of the surgical room. "Oh, and the name's Ben now.."

"What about the Council?" Padme shook her head in denial, "And Anakin? What was their decision?"

"Well," The newly christened 'Ben' drawled, "Let's just say that we won't be needing to report to the Council anymore…"

At this, Padme was absolutely speechless.

Can it be? They are letting Anakin go? We can be together?

"Excuse me you two," The familiar smooth voice of Aelynn interrupts her musings, "But there's a certain cyborg begging to see you."

"He's awake?"

"Yes," the medic nods, waving them into the door, "And he is faring much better now. Seeing you would do a lot for his health… Now come on."

Slightly nervous about seeing him, Padme followed the Fosh quietly.

Upon his wife's entrance, a helmeted head turned to her, taking in every feature of the woman he loved.

"Angel." The synthetic tone somehow seems softer now, as if its hard edges had worn away. More mellow in its deliverance.

"Anakin." The Senator looked upon the black form of the Chosen One, knowing now, just what the armor hid beneath its fierce exterior. "Do you feel different?"

Anakin sighed softly through the vocoder. Her voice was like a balm to his ravaged mind, the scars from having his emotions twisted, and the poison of the Dark Side tainting his soul, seeming to fade a little more with every word she spoke.

"A bit…" He admits, moving slightly, the wires attached through a slit in his bodysuit catching on the edge of the bed, "I never realized just how much of an affect the wretched suit has had on me…"

"If you don't like like it," Padme approached, placing a porcelain hand on his ebon cheek, "Why do you continue to hide yourself in there? I miss seeing you…"

Ashamed, he turns away at her touch.

"You don't want to see what's become of me Padme… I'm a monster…"

"I don't believe that." Padme soothes, coming around to face him again. Pulling his eyes back up to meet hers, she grips the flared edges of the helmet in each hand.

"Padme." Anakin's large gloved hand comes to rest on her arm, "Don't. I don't want you to live with what is beneath this mask… Just remember how I used to be?"

Releasing her hold on the helmet, she let her hands drop to his shoulders, the absence of armor making him softer to the touch. She could almost feel the human beneath the machine now.

"Alright Anakin," She relents, drawing into his leather clad embrace, "I'll do as you wish… Just stay my Jedi in there."

"Always and forever Angel…" He rumbles softly, his mouth grill nuzzling her silken hair softly, "Always…"

Alright. Deep breaths... I can do this.

I open my eyes, the plain white door before me summoning an undue nervousness in me as I pace, trying to steel myself for the coming confrontation.

I shouldn't have left my lightsaber behind...

The thought of my old Master lecturing me, in full cybernetic glory no less, on the importance of keeping track of my saber, brings a sad smile to my lips. My confidence bolstered slightly, I finally bring myself to step through the door of fate.

To be honest, Mon Mothma was never a fan of paperwork. Politics she loved, sorting papers and providing signatures... Not so much. So when a certain Jedi poked his head through the door, she was more than happy to jump on the opportunity to have a break.

"Anakin, please come in," she greeted him warmly, motioning to a seat, "I was beginning to wonder when I'd see you again."

"The same thing could be said on my account Milady," Anakin dipped his head formally, "I only hope we can remain civil to each other after this..."

At this, Mothma couldn't help the look of curiosity and slight confusion that crossed her features.

"Did you wish to speak to me about something?" She inquired, now noticing the grave expression the Chosen One now bore, "Whatever it is, I am sure it is not too detrimental."

"Sure..." Anakin grated, obviously struggling with what he was about to say. Placing his hands on her desk, he leaned forward.

"Allow me to ask a hypothetical question..." His voice is silken in its tone, "Let's say that somehow, some way, your greatest enemy infiltrated your ranks. Not with spies, but he himself was among you. " Mothma remained silent and thoughtful at his words. "And let's say you have something, or someone, extremely important to him in your base..." He swallowed, breaking eye contact for a moment, "And to protect that something, he revealed himself to you. Without weapons and without intent to kill... What would you do?"

Finished with laying out my 'hypothetical' scenario, I watched the Chandrillian's mind work over the situation. Eventually, after several moments of silence and the hum of heaters, she spoke.

"Well, it would depend on what he wants..." Mothma clasped her hands, "And why this 'someone' I have is so important to him."

"He is my son."

"Excuse me?" Mon sputtered, locking eyes with the Chosen One, "What are you talking about?"

"You know quite well," Anakin spoke softly, his eyes flashing a lucid yellow briefly, "I have come to you in order to protect my son from the truth of who I really am."

"And just who are you exactly?" The ex-senator, shifts, her hand wrapping around the cold grip of a blaster beneath the paper-laden desk. "If you aren't Anakin Skywalker?"

In the stillness of the room, it is painfully easy to detect the senator's unease.

"Oh, I am Anakin Skywalker," I concede, "But I am also so much more."

With this, I release the guise I had assumed over my Force presence and the darkness rushes forth, filling the room. My power is so potent, even Mothma, as blind to the Force as she is, can feel it. And I know it is a familiar sensation to her.

"Vader." Her eyes harden and her grip tightens on the trigger beneath the desk, "Kota told me you were dead..."

"Please," I scoff, "Do you really think it would be that easy to kill me?" Once again, I wrap my presence in Light, appearing once again to be Anakin Skywalker, blue eyes and all. "I survived alright, and now I seek revenge."

"On who, exactly?" The Chandrillian asks, her nervousness, while hidden behind a politician's mask, permeates the air, "Surely you wouldn't expose yourself like this just to take revenge on the Alliance."

I can't help but chuckle a little, unnerving the Alliance leader as I do so.

"Oh no Mothma, if I wanted revenge on your ragtag group of ancient ships and teenagers, I'd have the place leveled by now." A sly grin plays across my features, silently flicking a small data card into my hand, I hold it up in front of her.

"The only one deserving of my wrath currently, is the Emperor. He has deceived and betrayed me far too much for my liking..."

Mothma swallows, trying to avoid contact with my cold prosthetic as I gesture along with my words.

"Now," my eyes flick from the data chip to meet the Chandrilian's, "On this chip, I have every Imperial code, Navy, Military, you name it, I have it. Not to mention I know how the Empire fights, I designed many tactics myself..."

"Information that classified would certainly help us defeat the Empire." Mothma admitted, her eyes leaving mine and lingering on the jet black chip. "What do you want Vader? Other than revenge? I'm sure aid from one such as yourself won't be cheap."

"All I ask is that Luke is kept safe and unaware of my identity... As far as he is concerned I have always been Anakin Skywalker, the Jedi General and hero of the Clone Wars... Also, I would like a ship, I serve best on the front lines."

"That's reasonable..." Mothma now stands, her joints slightly stiff from the cold. "Although, how can we assure your allegiance is sound? And that you're telling the truth?"

"Take me to the rest of High Command," I suggest, pocketing the chip, "I will allow the Jedi present to analyze my intentions. And from there, we can further negotiate."

"Very well Lord Vader," Mothma dipped her head before following me out the door, "We will require your presence in a few hours... I suggest you prepare to explain yourself. The rest of High Command may not be so easily convinced of your story."

Nodding in agreement, I salute her respectfully before returning to the med wing, and undoubtedly, back to Luke. Still in one piece too.

This is going better than I dared hope.

As for Mothma recognizing Vader's presence in the room, remember, she was a senator, and has dealt with Vader on numerous occasions before!

(that's my reasoning anyway...)