Is that you chapter 14
It was unlike any pain she had felt before. It was worse than being poisoned by the Blue Shadow virus, worse than a blaster bolt through the shoulder and even worse than a lightsaber across the chest. This wasn't a physical pain that meds could dull it was emotional pain that riddled Wraeththu's mind as she powered up a shuttle.
How had all this happened? Was it all her fault or was it the smugglers? For once she didn't know who to blame. Her daughter Abby hated her, she had practically abandoned her son Jacob and shut her husband out. Had she been wrong to close herself off? Was it her fear of loosing her family that ultimately led her down the path she was on? Or was this some sort of retribution by the force for the things she had done? Whatever it was, what ever the reason this was happening to her she thought maybe she disserved this.
Letting the ship fly on auto pilot for her home where Vader and Jacob were she wondered if she could even face them after something like this. She had been sent out with one task, to find her daughter and bring her home yet she had failed. She had found her daughter and had been so happy to see her after all these long years but she had been rejected. To be told by someone that you love so dearly that they hate you cut deeper than any lightsaber ever could.
The shuttle had touched down on the landing pad at some point and now Wraeththu found herself to afraid to leave the shuttle, to see her family. If they rejected her because she had failed she didn't know what she would do. A fresh wave of tears settled at the edge of her eyes as she heard the ramp began to descend and she sat there steeling herself for her husband's rejection.
Vader stood at the edge of the ramp with his son, Jacob who was clearly lost in the excitement didn't sense his mother's pain. Looking down at Jacob he held out his arm in front of his son to keep him from bolting into the shuttle "wait here" he said. Jacob looked up at his father with confusion on his face "but why dad? Mom is back and that means she found Abby" he replied excitedly.
Vader shook his head sadly "yet I don't think it went the way you believe it did. Just wait here" he replied and began walking up the ramp. When Vader entered the shuttle he almost chocked, the emotions were so thick and strong they were almost overbearing. When he reached the cockpit the emotions only became stronger, they air was thick with pain, sadness and turmoil.
He didn't have to ask her, he knew what had happened, Abby had rejected Wraeththu, Abby had pushed her away. Without saying a word he grabbed the edge of the chair and spun it around, kneeling down he drew his wife into a hug. Wraeththu broke down in his arms and began crying again. Gently he stroked the back of her head to comfort his wife but he knew it would do little.
Vader staid there with her, holding on to Wraeththu silently for sometime as his tunic became soaked in tears. Though the tears and ragged breaths Wraeththu stuttered out "she…hates…me." Vader wrapped his arms tighter around Wraeththu and closed his eyes taking a deep breath. He knew there would be pain before there could be healing but even knowing that didn't make the situation any easier. He knew it would be a long hard road before things could begin to heal.
Burying her face deep into her husband's shoulder "I'm sorry…I'm so sorry….please…I can't lose anyone else…" her voice came out as a weak whimper, a plea even begging not to be pushed away to be forced to leave. "It's ok" Vader whispered softly gently kissing her forehead. She seemed to shrink in his arms like she was a broken woman who had lost everything desperately trying to hold onto something. They had staid that way for almost an hour before Vader finally managed to pull Wraeththu to her feet. Slowly he led her out of the shuttle and down the ramp.
Jacob watched in shock as his father was having to almost carry his mother down the ramp. It was so…unnatural to see his mother in tears, actually it was something he had never seen before and he knew something had gone wrong. "Mom?" Jacob asked hesitantly. "Not right now Jacob, go to your room or train for a bit. I need to be with your mother for a while" Vader replied. Jacob looked up at his dad and wanted to protest but he knew he wouldn't get anywhere if he tried so he headed outside to the training area.
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Ashla had spent the last hour just staring at the communication device in her hand. Chewie had taken Han to a hospital but she had staid behind trying to cope with her emotions. She heard Phantom whimper in worry, most likely because she hadn't said anything yet but she couldn't take her eyes off of the communicator. She knew she should destroy it, that she should sever her only tie to her mother by destroying the communicator but she couldn't. She couldn't because it was also the only way she could talk to her sister without having to return home.
Never mind how her mother had found her it was a matter of what Ashla was going to do now that she had. She didn't believe that this was going to be the last time she would see her mother and Ashla had no doubt that Wraeththu would try to contact her. She shook her head trying to rid the idea of having to see her mother again and the fear of what may have happened if she hadn't reached Han when she did. The image of Han suspended in the air helpless, gasping for air was still fresh in her mind. Her mother hadn't changed one bit, the woman was cruel, angry and just evil. That was something Ashla never wanted to be.
Sighing softly Ahsla's thumb hovered on the activation button of the communicator and talk to her sister. It would be nice to catch up with her sister after so many years she thought to herself. Instead however she shoved the communicator into her pocket and slid off of a crate standing up on her feet. She had other things more important to do than catch up. She needed to change the id codes on their ship just in case somehow her mother had gotten a hold of them. The last thing she wanted was to have Imperials looking for them again. Pulling her jacket on she opened the ramp to the Falcon "come on boy" she said to Phantom before walking down the ramp and away from the ship.
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As Vader followed his wife into the study he closed the door behind him turning the lock so they wouldn't be disturbed. His wife turned to him and was almost in tears again. Vader motioned over to a couch in the study and guided her to it. Sitting down he looked into her red eyes and asked "what happened?"
Wraeththu was silent for several minutes struggling to get her emotions under control so her voice would be steady when she spoke. "When I found the ship no one was on board so I hid myself and waited" Wraeththu started off slowly. "It hadn't taken long so I assume the trade off went smoothly and when I saw the smuggler and wookie return I just…I just got so mad…I thought this was the chance to make the man who stole Abby pay for all the pain he's caused us. I started choking him demanded to know where Abby was but he wouldn't tell me so I tortured him. Shortly after Abby showed up…I wanted to bring her home but she wouldn't let me" tears began falling down her face again and her breathing began shallower. "She thinks we abandoned her, that we don't love her…she said she hated me…that she never wanted to see me again even after I tried to explain to her the truth of what happened….i-I gave her a communicator in case she needs us, its linked directly into the one built into my arm…she already hates me enough and forcing her to come home with me…she would have hated me even more" Wraeththu finished.
Vader was silent for a moment before reaching out and taking his wife's mechanical hand and squeezed it gently. "Her anger toward you is miss placed Wraeththu" Vader started off and Wraeththu looked up at him "but she doesn't think that, she believes we…that I abandoned her, that I don't love her and I don't know how to fix it" Wraeththu stated.
Her mechanical hand clenched in frustration and despair as she pulled it away from Vader's hand "when I saw her I thought…I thought everything would be alright. That Abby would be happy to see me, eager to come home and see her family. She hates us though…me and you. She thinks we just left her and she resents us for that…what do I do? What do I do to fix this?" she asked.
Vader shook his head "I don't think there is anything you can do to fix this Wraeththu. This is something Abby will have to do, let her reach out to you or Leia when she's ready. This isn't something you can force and if you try to I fear it will shatter any hope of your daughter returning to us" Vader said softly. Wraeththu looked up at him with pain filled eyes "Can I stay…please?" she asked "I know I wasn't suppose to come back without Abby or until I found a way to deal with this but…I can't be alone…I need you, Jacob and Leia…" her voice began to shake again.
Vader pulled his wife into another hug and her arms wrapped around him tightly "yes Wraeththu you can but only if you promise one thing?" he replied. Wraeththu looked up at him "what?" she asked. "Spend time with our son, open yourself up to him. Help him train and work on his speeder" Vader replied. Wraeththu hesitated for a moment but nodded her head "alright" she said softly.
Slowly Wraeththu pulled away from her husband and took a moment to calm herself down. Closing her eyes she took a deep breath but Vader's concerned voice caused her to open her eyes and look at him.
"Wraeththu…" Vader said.
She looked at him and noticed him looking down at her arm. Glancing down Wraeththu realized her flesh hand was still trembling uncontrollably. She clenched her flesh hand tightly to try to get the trembling to stop but no matter how tightly she squeezed her fist the trembling wouldn't stop. "Damn it…" Wraeththu said closing her eyes.
Vader reached out and took her trembling hand into his own "don't drawl on it to deeply, you know what pulling on the darkside to deeply does to your body" Vader replied softly. Wraeththu took another deep breath and slowly got the trembling in her hand to stop the less she pulled on the darkside "I know" she said with a sigh. "I thought you had it under control?" Vader asked. Wraeththu looked at him "these last few years haven't been easy on me and in a couple more years the signs will become more evident than just a trembling hand" Wraeththu replied.