Chapter Thirteen: Family Reunion
"The staff is very heavy," Vader said, "weighed down by more than just its physical being."
Luke put a hand on the staff and had to fight not to jerk his hand away. The staff burned him, but not with physical heat, of that he was sure. Rather it was the feeling of being too close to something so evil its mere presence caused pain.
"They used this to create the plague," Luke said. "I wonder if we could undo it."
"Together, perhaps," Vader said. Father and son gripped the staff and pulled the Force into it. The burning became more intense as the two pushed the Force through the staff, to the crystal. Brilliant white light flared, and then began vacillating blue and green. The light flared even brighter, and suddenly erupted in a concentric ring shooting out from their position.
Then the crystal cracked. Somehow Luke was expecting a massive explosion or release of power. Instead, the burning sensation died, and crystal atop the staff cracked and went dark.
"Lord Vader!" Piett's voice said over the comm.
"Yes, Piett?"
"M'lord, all Prior ships have drifted out of formation and appear to be dead in space. Your orders?"
"Send a single frigate to investigate, and if possible to take one of the Prior ships aboard for reverse engineering. Destroy the rest."
"You think the ships were linked to the Priors?" Luke said.
"Or to this crystal," Vader mused. "Piett didn't call until after the crystal broke."
"A chink in their armor?" Luke thought.
"I'm sure we'll find out soon enough. In the meantime, we need to check on these people." Luke turned to begin, then stepped back when Vader did not move. "Are you injured?"
Vader touched the blinking chestplate. "The Priors know to target my respirator. The last man I killed before you joined me managed to strike it with his staff. It shorted out."
"Then we need to get you back to the ship…"
"I will be fine, Luke," Vader insisted.
The two split up and began checking on the people nearest them. In Luke's case, that was a woman of middle age who had hit her head when she fell. The plague must have struck with amazing speed. As he knelt down to check her pulse, her eyes fluttered. Her face was still marked by sores from the plague, but they seemed to be glazing over to form scabs very quickly.
"What happened?" she whispered, looking up at Luke with a bewildered expression. "The Priors!" she whispered them. "My children, where are my children?"
Luke looked up and around. People were stirring up and down the boulevard. Nearby, he saw two children, ages ten and twelve perhaps, sitting up groggily. "What are their names?" he asked her.
"Shelo and Doola," the woman said.
The two children were close enough to hear their names spoken and turned at the sound of their mothers voice. "They are safe," Luke said, smiling down at her. "The Priors are gone and help is on its way."
He stood and thumbed his comm.. "Admiral Piett, this is Skywalker. Lord Vader and I have evidently been able to neutralize the plague, but the entire population was affected by it. We're going to need extensive medical assistance."
"We're sending down three medical detachments," Piett said. "We've assumed a close orbit and were able to retrieve one of the ships per Lord Vader's orders. The others have been destroyed without difficulty."
"Thank you, Admiral. Also, could you send a diagnostic droid to check Lord Vader's respirator? It appears to have been damaged in the fight."
"Of course, General," the admiral said.
Luke turned the comm off and looked around as people picked themselves up. He stepped to the center of the street, and, pulling the Force within him, spoke to the people in a voice that carried to every ear in the city.
"The Priors have been defeated, and help is on the way," he told them. "Please be patient and wait for assistance. Medical personnel are coming at this very moment."
A moment later, Vader was by his side. "It was wise to address them," he said.
Luke rested a hand on his father's shoulder. "It was good to be by your side."
"And you. We should go to the palace and alert them to what's happening."
There were no bodies or guards lining the steps to the massive, sparkling palace building. The echoing columned halls were noticeably empty as they strode together, shoulder-to-shoulder. It wasn't until they approached the throne room that they saw people stirring, marked like all the others in sores from the plague. Those people quickly scrambled away at the horrifying sight of Darth Vader walking the halls of Theed Palace.
Those who were old enough remembered the last time the Dark Lord had wandered the palace, and the slaughter that followed when the queen at that time had tried to escape with surviving Jedi.
The throne room doors were closed, and the guards on either side were too groggy to assist. With one shared glance, father and son raised their hands, and the doors whooshed open.
Queen Kylatha had fallen from her throne and was collapsed into a pile of overly ornate golden shimmersilk and jewelry, while her staff was trying to pick themselves up. Vader noted the grotesque body of Moff Dor Mustafin left where it had fallen. They walked around the body, and stepped forward to assist the queen. Her own marks and scabs stood out against the porcelain skin of her otherwise striking face. "Who are you?" she asked as Luke helped her back to her thrown.
"My name is Luke Skywalker. I am a Jedi knight. Lord Vader and I came with a joint Imperial/Alliance taskforce that has been combating the Priors."
"Lord Vader?" she said, eyes wide. The queen looked as if she were hardly older than Luke himself, though he knew that was not true. Behind him, Luke could hear his father and knew the queen was staring at him in horror. "He came to help," Luke assured her calmly. "He will not harm you or any in your council."
The council, meanwhile, was pulling themselves back into their seats, staring dumbfounded at the Dark Lord and the young Jedi before them.
"They did this," the queen said, touching her face and then motioning to her advisory council, many of whom Vader was helping back to their seats. "They wanted us to try and worship their gods."
"We have destroyed them," Luke told her. "Medical help is coming. You're safe now."
The shock must have been wearing off. She looked up at him with shrewd, narrow eyes. "Jedi, you say? The Jedi are dead."
"There are a handful left," Luke said, "and in time there will be more. With Lord Vader's assistance, we are fighting the priors."
"Even so, how could you defeat the priors? How did the plague stop? No Jedi can do that."
Luke looked up at his father and laughed. "All things are possible in the Force."
0-0-0
An invasion of sorts took place as the Naboo people woke up to find storm troopers in odd armor moving through their streets with an array of biological sensors. They carried weapons, but the blasters stayed in holsters. Instead, the troopers deployed bacta patches to help heal the sores and scabbing, and other devices to aid those whose already weakened conditions were made worse by the plague.
There were causalities, the captain heading the landing part later reported. The very young and the very old were the most prone to succumbing. Nearly twenty children died, while several hundred elderly citizens died. It could have been much worse, though.
What was most important, however, was that Naboo was the first world the new Imperial-Alliance task force was able to save from the Priors.
Of course, the question soon arose as to what to do with Naboo now that it had been liberated. Queen Kylantha posed it before the bacta patches had even been removed from her face, but Luke could not answer, and his father simply stood before the queen in silence before turning and walking out of the room.
"I will find out for you," Luke promised the queen before rushing after the former Sith lord. When he caught up, he asked: "What are you going to do?"
"The Empire must remain in control of this planet," Vader said without pausing in his stride. "We need the food supplies for the fleet."
"The Empire won't survive by subjugating the very worlds it's attempting to save," Luke pointed out. Then he stopped. "The Naboo must remain free."
Vader also stopped and turned slowly. "This is not a Jedi matter, Luke. This is a matter regarding the survival of the Empire."
"Perhaps the Empire should not survive," Luke said. "At least not in its current state." The hall where the two spoke was deserted, with most palace staff having been dismissed on medical leave. "Father, we have to find a new way if this galaxy is going to survive. Do you really want to be the new emperor?"
"I already am," Vader said, but without any pleasure at the thought. He turned away from his son and hitched his thumbs in his belt. "I need to return to the Executor and have my respirator repaired. When I have meditated on this, we will talk again. Remain here for now, and help where you can."
He began walking down the hall, though even Luke could see how slowly he moved. The ever-present sound of Vader's mechanical breathing sounded labored and drawn.
Watching his father walk away, Luke was suddenly struck by an idea that refused to be dismissed. He reached for his comm and signaled the Executor. "Admiral Piett, this is Skywalker. Is Princess Leia available to speak to me?"
"I'm here, Luke."
"Leia, would you please take a shuttle and come to the surface. I would like to talk to you about something."
"I'll be down in an hour," she said.
Luke turned and walked back to the throne room. Two Naboo guards had assumed their station, and the doors had been closed. "I'm sorry, Jedi Skywalker, the queen has asked for a private council."
Look closed his eyes and reached out, sensing the persons in the meeting. He realized it was a discussion about Naboo's future, and he could sense a great deal of hostility toward not just his father, but also he himself.
"I won't take but a moment of their time," he said, as he simultaneous Force-pushed the doors open.
The guards pulled their blasters, but Luke did not enter. Rather he stood at the threshold and stared in. "Queen Kylatha, may I speak?"
"We asked for a private council, Jedi Skywalker," the obviously perturbed queen said. Around her were a group of ten men and women ranging from Luke's age to one elderly gentleman of at least 80 years.
"I apologize for the intrusion, but I believe you will want to hear me out. Lord Vader has returned to his ship. I am here alone."
"Could we stop you if we said know?" the queen asked.
"If I were Lord Vader, not at all. But I am a Jedi, and I am also a former Commander in the Alliance to Restore the Republic. If you ask me to leave, I will. But I hope you will listen to what I say."
"You will understand our caution," Kylantha said. "The Jedi have brought very little good to Naboo."
"I saved your life, Your Majesty, and the lives of your people. Surely that qualifies as good."
"Very well, Jedi Skywalker. You may approach."
As Luke strode across the throne room, the massive doors slid shut behind him. He studied the curious eyes that watched his approach, especially a pair of warm brown eyes set in a strikingly beautiful and vaguely familiar face. The Force signature behind the wave felt warm, with a familiar flavor to it. As he stopped before the council, he hazarded a guess. "Are you Pooja Nabarrie?"
The woman blinked and leaned back in her seat. "Have we met?"
"You know my sister, Princess Leia Organa."
"Leia?" Pooja blinked and shook her head. "I know Leia Organa, but she does not have a brother."
"We were separated at birth," he said. "She is on her way down."
That caught Kylantha's attention. "Do you mean to tell me that THE Princess Leia Organa of Alderaan is traveling on the same ship as the man who destroyed her home world?"
"It is a long story, but yes," Luke said. "And that is what I would like to talk to you and your council about. I sense that you are viewing this as an opportunity to break away from the empire. And you're right. The emperor is dead and Coruscant has fallen; for all intents and purposes, there is no empire but what Lord Vader takes with him in his fleet."
"We are loyal subjects to the Emperor," Kylantha said blankly.
"And who is that, now that Palpatine is dead?" Luke asked. He turned to Pooja. "As a senator, did you ever meet with Mon Mothma?"
"Before her resignation, yes."
"Did you think her to be honorable?"
"Very much so. She was the most vocal opponent of the Emperor in the senate and one of the few never cowed by his power."
"What would you say if I told you she personally approved the alliance between the Imperial Remnant and the Rebels, and met personally with Lord Vader to approve the treaty?"
"I would say that would have been a remarkable meeting," Pooja said.
"It was proof that Palpatine's New Order cannot continue as it has. This is a time of change, without doubt. The question is what type of change. When Leia gets here, talk to her. She has Vader's ear, whether he will admit it or not. I urge you not to make any decisions yet. Talk to her, and then let the future unfold on its own."
He nodded to them all, then turned and looked at Pooja one last time. "May I ask, you mother Sola, is she well?"
"Yes. How do you know her?"
"And your grandparents, are they still living?"
"I just heard from them. They survived the plague. Please explain how you know my family."
"I'd better let Leia tell you. She'll be here shortly. It was a pleasure to meet you, Pooja Nabarrie. More so than you could possibly realize." He bowed to her formally, and then turned to leave the throne room.
Leia arrived with Han Solo in tow and a pair of stormtroopers behind her a short time later. "Piett's idea," Leia said. "Just in case there were Ori sympathizers."
Luke nodded and turned to the troopers. "What are your orders?"
"To escort General Organa to the surface and protect her against any threats."
"I see. She is a Jedi trainee and could cut you both in half before you get a shot off, are you aware of this?"
"Yes sir," the lead trooper said.
Luke smiled and shook his head. "Imperial discipline." Luke took Leia's hand, and in a flash sent her his thoughts through the Force. Her eyes widened in shock. "He's not going to like that," she said. Neither needed to clarify who "he" was.
"Probably not, but if we present it as a done deal, perhaps he can be persuaded," Luke said. "He has changed a great deal. I don't think he'll storm through the palace killing everyone."
"He would have a year ago."
"A lot can happen in a year. And Leia?"
"Yes?"
"Pooja Nabarrie is on the queen's council. She looks more like your twin than I do."
The princess took a deep, shaky breath, and then smiled. "A family reunion," she said with forced calm. She hugged Luke quickly while Han looked on in confusion, and then headed toward the throne room.
"What was that about, kid?" Han asked.
"Pooja Nabarrie was a friend of Leia's from the senate, and we just found out she is also our first cousin."
"Oh." Han shrugged. "My first cousin's a murdering criminal. I guess it means more to some than others." He followed Leia toward the throne room.
0-0-0
Three hours later, Darth Vader stood before the closed door of Queen Kylantha's throne room with a visibly shaking guard on either side and Luke Skywalker standing in front of him.
"You did what?" Vader demanded in a mechanical roar that echoed through the whole palace.
"I asked Leia to speak on behalf of the Empire," he said.
"I speak for the Empire!" Vader said, his fist clinching unconsciously close to his lightsaber.
"You are the head of the empire, but you have never spoken well for it. You've never needed to."
The two guards, shaken already, were even more so when they heard the young Jedi talk to Darth Vader in such a defiant tone.
The doors began to rattle in their frame. The two guards backed away as the Dark Lord of the Sith tried to rein in his rage. Luke remained perfectly still, with a calm expression on his face. He kept his hands by his side, and simply waited.
"You should not have done this, Luke," Vader said darkly after a very long and deadly minute.
"For the sake of us all, I had no other choice but to do this," Luke said. "The Empire died with Palpatine and Coruscant. If we are going to survive, we will need to form a new government, one that combines the military might of the Empire and the freedoms of the Alliance. And this is where we start."
"And you've invited Mon Mothma here?"
"Yes, and all the leaders of the Alliance. They're all coming here, and we are going to create a new government."
"A democracy like the Old Republic is worse than useless in a time of war," Vader warned.
"I know. Listen to Leia. Listen to what she proposes."
Luke turned and waved a hand; the doors swung open obligingly. Inside, the Naboo had set up a large circular table, at which sat only Leia, Queen Kylantha, and Senator Pooja Nabarrie. Luke started walking toward them with Vader a step behind.
Leia shifted in her chair, then lifted her chin as the temperature in the room literally dropped before the dark aura of the former Sith's Force presence. "Lord Vader," she said. "I take it my brother has told you what we are doing?"
Vader slowly stared at the three women sitting at the table, taking a full uncomfortable minute to stare down each one. Leia finally stood and walked to stand before him. The queen and senator shifted as if in fear for her life.
The princess said very quietly: "Vader…Father, this is the only way. I'm not here as a leader of the rebellion, but as your daughter, for the Empire. Mon Mothma will be here shortly, with several other planetary leaders. Please, at least look at what we are proposing."
Vader lifted a gloved hand and the holopad left the table and flew to his fingers. He lifted it and began reading through it rapidly. Luke and Leia waited in silence, hovering just millimeters from each other, hardly breathing.
"You propose a military junta for the duration of the Ori conflict with civilian oversight," Vader said, cutting through a 400 page document in moments. "To be followed by a multi branch interstellar alliance of the former rebel forces and Empire. The Old Republic did not have an executive branch."
"Not until Palpatine, Lord Vader," Pooja pointed out. She looked nervous correcting Vader, but did not stop. "History shows that during the Clone Wars, the executive powers the senate granted him actually did allow a more efficient government for a time. Leia and I both recognize the value of a strong branch of government to offset the more measured approach of a legislature. An elected king or president, or whatever term is most appropriate, would wield executive powers, but for only five years. One key provision would be a two term limit to avoid the possibility of a despot. And the term limit would be a key provision of the new government that could only be overturned by a four-fifths majority of the senate and full judicial approval."
"The battle with the Ori may take many years," Vader said. "It may never end."
"The provisional Galactic Alliance constitution allows a period of ten years, after which if the conflict has not been resolved, then executive and legislative branches are to convene anyway. We won't do it now simply because we know whichever planet a new government chooses will simply be targeted by the Ori," Pooja said.
"It empowers all the systems to help us," Leia explained. "Brute force and conscription won't get you the best resources. But if every planet has a stake in the outcome and can see a better future, we will have the support we need to galvanize the whole galaxy to our cause!"
Vader dropped the holopad. "Queen Jamilla was killed in these halls at my command," he said. Kylantha blanched. "I have been an instrument of the Emperor's will for most life. I am an expert only in killing."
He turned to Leia. "You shall serve as the Empire's plenipotentiary for this conference you have called. Do what must be done to fight the Ori. My only warning is this—any attempt to interfere in the military campaign will be unsuccessful."
"I understand," Leia said. She started to say more, but forced herself to remain silence. Vader started to leave, but then returned his attention to Pooja. "Have they told you?"
"Told me what? What is it you people know about me?"
"You remind me of Queen Amidala," Vader said. He looked at Leia. "Just as Padmé's daughter does." With that, he turned and left the room.
Pooja watched him go with her brows furrowed in confusion. "What did he mean by that? Queen Amidala did not have a daughter! She was my aunt, I would know."
"Funny story about that," Luke said.